For now, most autonomous vehicles being tested in the U.S. require a backup driver. You’ll be the driver of this one — let’s just call it AV — on your way to the airport. The car is supposed to make the trip easy and comes with a custom-built, 3-D map to create the best route.
Your car can drive itself only within a fixed area and only under certain conditions. For example, Waymo permits its cars to travel in autonomous mode within a 100-square-mile area around Chandler, Ariz., a Phoenix suburb, but not necessarily at all times. If there is a dust storm, the cars are designed to stop. Then, the driver can take control.