Driverless cars to cost $7,000 extra as human leadfoots pose IT problem

Driverless cars are likely to cost up to $7,000 more than normal vehicles when they reach mass acceptance but face a big challenge because programmers need to factor in the regular minor rule-breaking of humans driving traditional vehicles on the same roads, a United States expert says.

Professor Raj Rajkumar from Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh says it will be decades before there is full automation and he expects when the self-driving car technology reaches the mass market and is available in family sedans and sports utility vehicles, the extra technology will cost between $4,000 to $7,000 per vehicle.