The Unexpected Green Consequences Of Self-Driving Cars – SlashGear

A new study conducted by researchers at MIT compares the emissions caused by the computing needed for autonomous vehicles to that of data centers. If you’ve never looked into the greenhouse emissions released by data centers, you might be a little alarmed by what you find. According to Climatiq, watching just 30 minutes of Netflix can result in CO2 emissions equivalent to driving 3.7 miles in a gasoline-powered car. 

The MIT study, which used statistical models to predict outcomes, found that 90% of the time, unless computational power usage is kept under 1.2 kW, the emissions of autonomous driving would dramatically exceed that of data centers. The researchers found that “1 billion autonomous vehicles, each driving for one hour per day with a computer consuming 840 watts, would consume enough energy to generate about the same amount of emissions as data centers currently do.”

Currently, vehicles account for around 27% of U.S. greenhouse gas emissions, according to The EPA. 

According to The Alternative Fuels Data Center, an electric vehicle causes around 22% of the annual emissions of a similar gasoline-powered vehicle, meaning the increase in emissions from self-driving computing should still come out as a net positive as EVs start to occupy more of the consumer vehicle market share. Still, creating more efficient self-driving cars — thereby extending range and reducing pollution — should be a priority for auto makers.