Why it might not make sense for you to own a self-driving car

Tensor let me sit in their driverless car. It might go on sale in the US next year.

This post originally appeared in Understanding AI.

“A car that actually has the hardware necessary for full autonomy might be so expensive that hardly anyone can afford it.”

Last month I got to check out a self-driving car unlike any I’d seen before. The roof had a Waymo-like rack of sensors. Inside, the doors had small video screens instead of side mirrors. At the touch of a button, the rectangular steering wheel folded into the dashboard and a video screen slid in front of it, putting the car into self-driving mode.

The prototype vehicle, made by a startup called Tensor, was parked on a San Francisco street outside the Ride AI conference. I didn’t get a demo ride because the vehicle isn’t yet street-legal. But I sat in the passenger seat next to Tensor chief marketing officer Amy Luca, who explained the company’s history and launch plans.

Tensor’s prototype vehicle parked on a street in San Francisco. (Photo by Timothy B. Lee)