# What will we call "self driving cars"? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [June 27, 2019, 6:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-will-we-call-self-driving-cars/836174 "2019-06-27T18:16:46Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2019, 6:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-will-we-call-self-driving-cars/836174/1 "2019-06-27T18:16:46Z")
I can imagine a day when standard cars share the road with self driving cars, similar to the way ICE (internal combustion engine) cars share the road with EVs (electric vehicles) and Hybrids (cars that are both ICE and EV). Using “self driving cars” is too long, we tend to shorten descriptions in conversations. The other day I heard YouTuber/Podcaster [CGP Grey](http://www.cgpgrey.com/) suggest the term “autos” be used for self driving cars, and “cars” be used for vehicles controlled by humans. Sounds good to me. What do you think? ---
**Author:** ![QuickSilver](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quicksilver/32/7832_2.png) [@QuickSilver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/QuickSilver)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2019, 6:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-will-we-call-self-driving-cars/836174/2 "2019-06-27T18:27:10Z")
“Pods”, as in, _Did you drive or did you pod?_ ---
**Author:** ![snoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/43a26b/32.png) [@snoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/snoe)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2019, 6:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-will-we-call-self-driving-cars/836174/3 "2019-06-27T18:37:37Z")
The nym will be related to a company that popularizes self-driving cars in some form. “Did you Google how to Uber over here?” It’ll be like that. I’m pretty confident it won’t be some neologism like “auto” or anything. It’ll be related to a pioneering corporation. (I do like “auto” or even “automobile” as a name for self-driving cars.) ---
**Author:** ![scr4](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/59ef9b/32.png) [@scr4](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scr4)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2019, 7:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-will-we-call-self-driving-cars/836174/4 "2019-06-27T19:19:12Z")
We used to have phones and mobile phones. Now we have land line phones and phones. So I think eventually we’ll have cars and manually operated cars. ---
**Author:** ![DrCube](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a3d4f5/32.png) [@DrCube](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrCube)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2019, 8:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-will-we-call-self-driving-cars/836174/5 "2019-06-27T20:16:34Z")
Right. I suspect we’ll just call them cars. And if you mean one of those old fashioned types that you had to actually drive, you’ll need to explain it. ---
**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2019, 8:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-will-we-call-self-driving-cars/836174/6 "2019-06-27T20:24:01Z")
When I get one, I’ll call mine an auto. But right now I drive a car. ---
**Author:** ![Slash1972](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slash1972/32/6461_2.png) [@Slash1972](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slash1972)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2019, 8:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-will-we-call-self-driving-cars/836174/7 "2019-06-27T20:39:54Z")
autobots. duh. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2019, 8:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-will-we-call-self-driving-cars/836174/8 "2019-06-27T20:53:35Z")
> [@scr4](#): > > We used to have phones and mobile phones. Now we have land line phones and phones. > > So I think eventually we’ll have cars and manually operated cars. It’s really kind of cool to sit back and watch the terminology arising. ---
**Author:** ![wolfpup](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolfpup/32/10618_2.png) [@wolfpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfpup)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2019, 9:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-will-we-call-self-driving-cars/836174/9 "2019-06-27T21:05:45Z")
Well, they’re autonomous mobile vehicles, so I suggest the name _automobile_™. I should probably trademark that before somebody else thinks of it! 😃 ---
**Author:** ![KneadToKnow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kneadtoknow/32/3999_2.png) [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2019, 9:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-will-we-call-self-driving-cars/836174/10 "2019-06-27T21:16:59Z")
> [@scr4](#): > > manually operated cars. I nominate “retromobiles.” ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2019, 9:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-will-we-call-self-driving-cars/836174/11 "2019-06-27T21:18:57Z")
> [@wolfpup](#): > > Well, they’re autonomous mobile vehicles, so I suggest the name _automobile_™. I should probably trademark that before somebody else thinks of it! 😃 Autoauto. ---
**Author:** ![ekedolphin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ekedolphin/32/10003_2.png) [@ekedolphin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ekedolphin)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2019, 2:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-will-we-call-self-driving-cars/836174/12 "2019-06-28T02:18:51Z")
How about KITT? ---
**Author:** ![Andy\_L](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c67d28/32.png) [@Andy\_L](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Andy_L)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2019, 3:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-will-we-call-self-driving-cars/836174/13 "2019-06-28T03:07:41Z")
> [@scr4](#): > > We used to have phones and mobile phones. Now we have land line phones and phones. > > So I think eventually we’ll have cars and manually operated cars. Yep. ---
**Author:** ![snowthx](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowthx/32/10660_2.png) [@snowthx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/snowthx)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2019, 12:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-will-we-call-self-driving-cars/836174/14 "2019-06-28T12:16:45Z")
Johnny Cabs. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Lightnin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lightnin/32/180_2.png) [@Lightnin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lightnin)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2019, 12:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-will-we-call-self-driving-cars/836174/15 "2019-06-28T12:23:18Z")
If we don’t call them “Autobots”, we’re doing something wrong as a society. ---
**Author:** ![MacTech](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c0e974/32.png) [@MacTech](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MacTech)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2019, 12:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-will-we-call-self-driving-cars/836174/16 "2019-06-28T12:36:26Z")
Taxis/Ubers/Lyfts 😉 I hope we never have to call them anything at all, I will never voluntarily own a vehicle that can drive itself, I will not trust my life to a computer… …I do see a use for them for people with legitamite medical issues or the elderly that may not have the capability to safely drive anymore though, there is a use for SDC technology, just don’t _force_ it on everyone Also, what would happen in a "Carrington Event level CME, or other electromagnetic discharge situation, most cars are a “maybe, but probably not” right now anyway, only older mechanical engines with no electronics would be immune anyway fully computerized SDC without hardened electronics would be lawn ornaments/planters… ---
**Author:** ![ZonexandScout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zonexandscout/32/544_2.png) [@ZonexandScout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZonexandScout)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2019, 1:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-will-we-call-self-driving-cars/836174/17 "2019-06-28T13:10:59Z")
On a slightly different tack… When a person asks how you got somewhere, will we say, “Oh, I drove there,” or will they say, “Oh, I rode there”?? ---
**Author:** ![Lord\_Feldon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lord_feldon/32/341_2.png) [@Lord\_Feldon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lord_Feldon)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2019, 1:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-will-we-call-self-driving-cars/836174/18 "2019-06-28T13:18:52Z")
> [@MacTech](#): > > Also, what would happen in a "Carrington Event level CME, or other electromagnetic discharge situation, most cars are a “maybe, but probably not” right now anyway, only older mechanical engines with no electronics would be immune anyway Why would that kind of event stop a car from working? AFAIK that kind of thing is bad for long lengths of wire, not individual electronic devices. Maybe if it was an electric car that happened to be plugged in at the time. ---
**Author:** ![Lord\_Feldon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lord_feldon/32/341_2.png) [@Lord\_Feldon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lord_Feldon)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2019, 1:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-will-we-call-self-driving-cars/836174/19 "2019-06-28T13:23:33Z")
If the utopian vision of true end-to-end self-driving cars actually comes to pass, they’ll just be cars. I don’t see the current regulatory framework for human-driven cars, where anybody with a pulse can get a license to drive that can’t be taken away except in cases of wanton negligence, surviving very long in that world. ---
**Author:** ![GuanoLad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guanolad/32/42_2.png) [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2019, 1:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-will-we-call-self-driving-cars/836174/20 "2019-06-28T13:45:49Z")
Minnows. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-will-we-call-self-driving-cars/836174.md?page=2)