Self-driving cars are coming. Chemical makers are racing to keep up

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Self-driving cars are coming. Chemical makers are racing to keep up

A convergence of new technologies will finally bring self-driving cars to the mass market in the next decade. Experts think the robot vehicles will start by delivering packages within limited areas. Then, bit by bit, they’ll make it out onto the open road with humans inside. This future hinges on sensors that let computers see the road. The sensors need to become more robust and sensitive while coming down in cost. An increasingly electric fleet will also demand lighter-weight materials and designs alongside improvements in cooling and lubrication. It’s a big set of changes that will challenge the chemical industry—and create opportunities. Talk with businesspeople and policy makers involved in mobility, and it becomes clear that self-driving cars are not a matter of if, but when. These vehicles will be front and center in a future where cars are connected, autonomous, shared, and electric—what advocates call CASE. Any one of

Automakers will need cutting-edge chemicals, coatings, and materials to deliver on the promise of autonomous vehicles

10.1021/cen-09841-cover-nuro-gr1

Nuro's driverless R2 vehicle is in testing in California. Its predecessor, the R1 (shown), delivered groceries in Scottsdale, Arizona. (Credit: Nuro)

carsautonomous vehiclesdeliveryA little mobile robot with gull-wing doors contains groceries.