New findings from Juniper Research reveal that by the end of 2026 there will be over 50 million autonomous vehicles on the road, with over 10 million in the US and 15 million in the Far East and China. In comparison, the global market will account for 1.5 billion vehicles on the road during the same year.

While self driving vehicles are yet to hit the roads in a successful manner, India is expected to be a major adopter of this and can be among top 10 countries for such autonomous vehicles in next 8 years, the report predicts.

The new research, Autonomous Vehicles & ADAS: Market Trends 2018-2026, found that a confluence of societal shifts, smart city mobility schemes and technology infrastructure will kickstart autonomous vehicle sales. These include softening demand for vehicle ownership driven by the emergence of concepts such as Mobility-as-a-Service, driving safety benefits and establishment of underlying V2X (vehicle-to-anything) communications.

Juniper evaluated 20 countries according to their readiness for autonomous vehicles; analysing nations’ enthusiasm for autonomous vehicles and the likelihood of autonomous vehicles operating in the country. It considered regulatory policies, trials in operation, digital and city infrastructure in place and the participation of local technology firms and organisations.

Leading nations in Juniper’s Autonomous Vehicle Country Readiness Index 2018 are:

United States

Singapore

Japan

United Kingdom

South Korea

Netherlands

Malaysia

India

China

France

Research author Michael Larner added: “The US has all the key ingredients for autonomous vehicles to operate at scale. Federal and local authorities supporting AV trials, Silicon Valley and universities spawn firms that can deliver the technology, many local competitors are introducing driverless technologies plus the car remains vital for commuting and leisure travel.”

The research found that OEMs will incrementally add driverless technologies to newer vehicle models. It predicted that 2019 will be a milestone year with the launch of vehicles where the driver’s full attention is no longer required. It claimed that the US and China will be the key regions to watch as new policies and guidelines for autonomous vehicles flourish; and combined, will account for nearly 65% of global autonomous vehicles sold in 2019.