Sponsored by Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada, the Canadian Council of Academies gathered a team of experts, including Dr. Jason Millar, to identify potential impacts of connected, autonomous, shared, and electric (CASE) vehicles on industry, privacy and cybersecurity, urban planning, the environment, and the safety and well-being of people in Canada.
Connected, autonomous, shared, and electric (CASE) vehicles offer the promise of a more effective, efficient, and integrated transportation system with reduced congestion, fewer collisions, and greater mobility options. They could lead to improved equity and accessibility in transportation for older adults, children and youth, people with limited mobility, and those living in areas underserved by public transportation. But realizing the potential of CASE vehicles will require coordinated interaction and decision-making among government authorities at all levels, as well as with relevant industry stakeholders, associations, and international organizations.
The panel of experts working found that the potential environmental and health benefits of CASE vehicles depend more on mobility behaviours than technological advances and anticipate these vehicles will not be evenly distributed across the country, at least initially. The report concludes that avoiding undesirable outcomes and achieving the benefits of CASE vehicles in Canada will require meeting significant technical and societal challenges and will depend on how industry, consumers, and governments respond to problems and opportunities today. Present-day planning and policy decisions related to public transit, ride-sharing, and active transportation will affect how, when, and where CASE vehicles are used in Canada in the next 10, 20, and 50 years.
The report is also available in French.
Dr. Jason Millar is the Canada Research Chair in the Ethical Engineering of Robotics and Artificial Intelligence, a Faculty member at the Centre for Law, Technology and Society and an Assistant Professor in the School of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science at the University of Ottawa, with a cross-appointment in the Department of Philosophy.