Report: Self-Driving Cars To Replace Some Flights

Audi RS7 Piloted Driving Concept (Credit: © Audi)

Forget about domestic flights where there’s barely enough time to be served a drink. At least, that’s what the big guns at Audi are talking about these days, because they think that self-driving cars will make sure airplane rides a thing of the past. This revelation comes via CarBuzz.

While it might shock some to see that Audi’s talking about autonomous vehicle tech, it’s a lesser-known fact that the German luxury brand has been one of the pioneers in that arena. As we reported a while ago, it created a self-driving RS7 Piloted Driving concept vehicle that was able to run some impressive hot laps, giving even some seasoned racers a run for their money. The company also showed how an A7 with autonomous tech could drive without help from San Francisco to Las Vegas.

In the report, Audi’s top brass admitted that short domestic airplane flights aren’t going away overnight. Autonomous vehicle tech is still in its infancy, but give it 20 years and that nonstop from San Francisco to Las Vegas could be a thing of the past.

Instead of having to deal with TSA agents, lines, cramped planes that sit on the tarmac taxiing around for what seems like forever, surly flight attendants, in the future a person could climb inside theirs (or a rented) autonomous car, tell it where to go, and then relax. In that San Francisco to Las Vegas scenario, a person could sleep the entire time while the vehicle drives, then wake up in time to enjoy the sin city. On the return trip, the person could sleep off whatever adventures they had, and be refreshed as they arrived back in the Bay Area.

This idea from Audi shows another way that self-driving cars could completely transform how we get around. While it might not be emotionally engaging, it would make for a great way to avoid long, boring stretches of road and save on wasted time.