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autonomous car
Sign in to saveAlso known as driverless car, self-driving car, robotic car, selfdriving car, car that drives itself, self driving car, autonomous cars, driverless cars
automobile capable of traveling without human input
An autonomous car is a vehicle that can drive itself without needing a person to control it. This matters because it could potentially make transportation safer, more convenient, and accessible to people who cannot drive.
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- Waymo Chrysler Pacifica in Los Altos, 2017.jpg
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- Autonomous automobiles
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Article
A self-driving car, also known as an autonomous car, driverless car, robotic car, or robo-car, is a car that is capable of operating with reduced or no human input. They are sometimes called robotaxis, though this term refers specifically to self-driving cars operated for a ridesharing company. As of 2026, the term "self-driving" lacks an agreed standard definition and is also subject to commercial advertising and branding considerations.
In 2020, Waymo was the first to offer rides in driverless taxis in the operational design domain (ODD) of limited geographic areas, but as of late 2025, no system has achieved full autonomy in all domains - sometimes referred to as "Level 5" on a scale of 0 to 5 levels of automation defined by the global standards organization SAE International, or simply "no driver" as given by the classification system proposed by Mobileye in the US.