Driverless cars are likely to make a slow impact in New Zealand, a new report says.
The report, by consultants MR Cagney, said while the first vehicle might be here within years, their arrival on the scene would be slow and would not be a panacea for traffic congestion.
Autonomous or driverless taxi fleets are expected by 2040, with some driverless public transport also emerging.
It expected by 2055 that most new vehicles will be capable of operating without a driver, and use will be widespread in dense urban areas.
MR Cagney managing director Leslie Carter said public transport would still be key.
"Our modelling shows that without public transport, even with full adoption of autonomous vehicles, cities will be heavily congested because of already constricted corridors into cities, the limit capacity of the road networks, and growing populations," he said.
Mr Carter said in early phases the government must get regulation right to provide certainty to the market, with parking and public transport connections starting to cater for autonomous vehicles.
