Waymo is rapidly expanding in the U.S. But experts say there are big questions about how self-driving cars could affect traffic and greenhouse gas emissions.
Title from the article version of this newsletter
That will be too little too late.
No
But trains will
Honestly even if they were comically old timey trains that burned coal the efficiency of scale might still keep emissions technically lower than cars when you truly add it all up.
@silence7 The problem of “too many cars on the road” definitely has a solution in “more cars that drive themselves aimlessly without purpose”. The techbros really know what we need! :comfysmug:
to be fair if someone does not buy a car because a car driving service is a doable alternative and its per ride so they decide to walk or bike a bit more to save some money on a case by case basis and then also if the driving service is a bit efficient in a traveling salesman kind of way and then if they tend more toward fuel efficient vehicles (since the person who buys a truck or suv may be doing it because they may need the capability or not having the infrastucture in their apartment to plug in an electric). I could see it reducing emmisions. Even a decent chance of doing it. Same if a multicar family decides they can just go with one car.

