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It's no secret that automakers and technology companies are putting a lot of money and effort into developing autonomous vehicles: cars and trucks that can drive safely on public roads with no human driver needed.
While it may be many years before autonomous vehicles dominate the world's roads, autonomous-driving technology is already emerging -- and that means big opportunities for investors are already starting to appear.
Here's how investors should be thinking about those opportunities.
The company formerly known as the Google Self-Driving Car Project has come a long way from the cute-but-impractical "panda" test cars that debuted just three years ago. Waymo's current test fleet is made up of custom-built Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid minivans fitted with its latest sensors. Image source: Alphabet.
The dictionary tells us that something "autonomous" is self-contained, able to function without outside control. In the case of vehicles, an autonomous vehicle is one that can drive itself without a human driver. Autonomous vehicles are often referred to as "driverless" or "self-driving," or sometimes "robotic"; it's all the same idea.
Often, in articles about autonomous-vehicle technology, you'll see references to "Level 4" or "Level 5" systems. Those levels refer to standards set by SAE International (a professional association of automotive engineers) that are widely accepted around the world.
The SAE's standards are intended as a quick-reference guide to a given vehicle's level of automation. There are six autonomous-vehicle levels, ranging from Level 0 (no automation at all) to Level 5 (a fully automated vehicle that can operate under any conditions a human driver could).
But here's a quick summary of what you need to know about self-driving systems:
It's important to remember that the levels are designated by the maker of a system; they're not assigned by an outside agency. Officially, both Tesla's (TSLA 0.01%) Autopilot and General Motors' (GM +0.00%) Super Cruise systems are Level 2. Volkswagen AG's Audi subsidiary is in the process of rolling out the first system to come to market with the Level 3 designation.
Will this be the first mass-produced autonomous vehicle? GM said its self-driving Chevrolet Bolt EV could go into production soon. Image source: General Motors.
Most companies working on autonomous-vehicle systems are focused on one (or more) of three potential markets:
As I write this in the fourth quarter of 2017, it looks likely that the first Level 4 autonomous vehicles to be mass-produced will enter service with ride-hailing businesses, probably within a year or two.
But the other markets will be significant within a few years: Nearly all luxury-car makers are chasing the early lead staked out by Tesla with its Autopilot system, and several makers of light and heavy trucks (and technology companies that hope to do business with them) are working on autonomous systems for commercial-truck use. Ford Motor Company is even testing an autonomous pizza-delivery vehicle.
That's a hard question to answer, because the market hasn't really taken shape yet. It's also complicated by the sheer number of development efforts underway: It's likely that Level 4 technology, at least, will become a commodity within a few years of its introduction.
But there are several companies with the potential to see major bottom-line growth as autonomous vehicles become common:
Here's the takeaway for investors: Level 4 autonomous vehicles are likely to begin appearing soon, within a year or two. The initial markets for them may be limited, but they're likely to grow huge over time. And while it's too early to declare winners, and it's likely that Level 4 technology will be a commodity within five to seven years, we can already see that several companies are particularly well-positioned to profit as autonomous-vehicle technology enters the mainstream.