Autonomous Vehicles: From Science Fiction to Sustainable Future

Understanding the confluence of technology and society poses challenges of many kinds. The first appearance of driverless cars in science-fiction publications at the beginning of the twentieth century present a techno-social imaginary that is one-dimensional and non-spatial. By highlighting the complexities of the politics of automobility this chapter argues that these texts offer important insights into the enduring actualities and ethical dilemmas of sustainable transport, looking at them through a lens that owes a good deal to Louis Althusser’s model of the by Ideological State Apparatus. These limitations help to better understand what sorts of connected infrastructures need to be in place if autonomous vehicles are to become a realisable and sustainable transport option.