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Once the system has identified a vehicle, it displays a targeted ad on the LED billboard for as long as five seconds. The choice of ads to be displayed to specific vehicles is determined by the advertisers. For example, people driving a five-year old vehicle might see an ad for a newer model of the same car. Truck drivers might be shown ads for upcoming trucker-friendly stops.

Musk acknowledges that eventually we’ll not only be able to take our hands off the wheel, but there won’t be a steering wheel to begin with.

"This version doesn’t take into account stop signs and stop lights, but a future version will,"

"The more miles that are driven the better it will get," says Musk. "People should see the car improve with every passing week."

But the benefits of self-driving cars are so significant that in time the public will demand prohibitions against old-fashioned legacy driving in most public spaces

there are more than 2 billion legacy cars on the road, globally. Currently, the car industry can only produce around 100 million new vehicles a year. Just from a manufacturing perspective, it could take 20 years to build a new fleet that approximates the one we have now.

automatic braking, help avoid hitting pedestrians and perform other functions

Autonomous cars are expected to reduce traffic congestion and accidents, in addition to easing the burden of long-distance driving for the elderly and others

speeding up development of related technologies such as mapping features and sensors.

Western automakers and technology giants like Google are also developing self-driving vehicles

From a technical standpoint, the car uses lasers, radar and cameras to construct a 3D image of the world around it, and uses that to make driving decisions.

The driver has a small heads-up display which summarizes what the car’s vision system sees, with color-coded indicators for other vehicles, pedestrians, cyclists and other things it needs to contend with.

The Google cars drive safely in part because they’re programmed to be relentlessly cautious: Unlike many a human driver, they won’t push their luck.

The car purchasers of the future will not be you and me – cars will be purchased and operated by ride sharing and car sharing companies.

, it is unlikely that major automakers like General Motors, Ford, and Toyota will survive the leap.

while startup automakers like Tesla will thrive on a smaller number of fleet sales to operators like Uber by offering standardized models with fewer options.

884,000 people are employed in motor vehicles and parts manufacturing, and an additional 3.02 million in the dealer and maintenance network.22 Truck, bus, delivery, and taxi drivers account for nearly 6 million professional driving jobs. Virtually all of these 10 million jobs will be eliminated within 10-15 years

with a "cloud-based family hub" that allows family members to divvy up chores and financial transactions

the local Marks & Spencer department store (this is the U.K., after all) has been converted into a combination cafe, store that both shares and rents items, and maker-space outfitted with the requisite 3-D printer

The Silver Linings families live in community-centric villages for active older people that offer amenities like yoga and fitness classes

The Ruralites are families living in rural areas that live at the cutting edge of technology--using 3-D printers to get replacement parts for household items and "video walls" to communicate with friends and family

Dragon Rouge refers to single parents sharing a family home as members of the Tandem Tribe. In this vision, energy and resources are tracked individually and a larger micro-community offers shared resources, including tools and vehicles.

Finally, there are the Modular Movers--professionals who hop from one megacity to the other, exploring the world while they work and opting to walk and use bikes whenever possible. Like some of the other family types, this group relies on shared resources and subscription plans.

Data privacy is a particular concern for German car makers

Beyond Apple and Google, other tech companies are working to get their offerings incorporated into car systems

Samsung Electronics Co

Microsoft Corp. is also edging

The launch of self-driving vehicles in the coming years could bring even more screens into the car, on and off the dashboard, as passengers get more time to work, shop or watch movies on the road.