Energy expert: By 2030, cars will be self-driving, electric

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — One controversial expert said we are close to making oil, nuclear, natural gas and coal obsolete by 2030 and driverless cars the norm.

"It's pretty much what it will be in 15 years," said Tony Seba, an energy and transportation expert at Stanford University. He was the guest speaker at JTA's "State of the Authority Luncheon" in Downtown Jacksonville.

Seba said self-driving cars will change everything about the way you drive to work. He maintains people would simply use their phones to call a car that would pick them up anywhere, at any time.

"The economics of it are way too compelling. Imagine Uber driving around with self-driving cars," said Seba.

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He said cars are parked 96 percent of the time, yet we pay $14,000 for these vehicles and use them one or two hours a day. Among Seba's predictions, by 2030 not only will all vehicles will be self-driving, but all new mass-market vehicles will be electric.

But drivers Action News spoke with are split about self-driving cars.

"I think that would be a bad idea," says Jesse Singh. "Even if it was self-driving, what if something happens to the system that is controlling the car?"

"Would you want to give up your ride?" Acton News asked another driver. "I would give up this car for sure," they said.

Seba said the future is now.

"This is happening and it's going to happen very, very quickly on a mass basis."

Companies like Nissan, Mercedes and Volvo have already announced plans for driverless cars.

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