CleanTechnica•3 days ago
Ford, Waymo, Tesla — Where Is Self-Driving Going in 2026?
Key Takeaway
The rapid advancement and mainstreaming of self-driving EVs will significantly increase electricity demand, requiring substantial investment in generation, grid infrastructure, and data center capacity.
AI Summary
- •Ford plans to integrate Level 3 (eyes-off) self-driving into affordable EV models by 2028, signaling accelerated mainstream adoption of autonomous electric vehicles.
- •The widespread deployment of self-driving EVs by major players (Ford, Waymo, Tesla) will drive substantial growth in electricity demand for vehicle charging infrastructure.
- •This shift necessitates significant grid infrastructure upgrades, including new generation, transmission, and potentially large-scale charging depots, impacting load profiles and investment opportunities for IPPs and developers.
- •The intensive data processing and AI requirements for autonomous vehicle fleets will increase demand for data center capacity and reliable power supply.
Topics
datacenteremissionsfinancinginterconnectoempolicystoragetransmission
Article Content
One of the big automotive stories out of CES 2026 from the last week was Ford making an announcement about eyes-free driving coming to its models — affordable EVs even — in 2028. There are layers to this, though. Ford’s L3 Eyes-Off Driving Plans — What Are They Exactly? First ... [continued] The post Ford, Waymo, Tesla — Where Is Self-Driving Going in 2026? appeared first on CleanTechnica .