History Main / AutomatedAutomobiles

* "Literature/{{Trucks}}" does this with anything automotive, and they don't like humans any more... ''Trucks'' was later turned into a movie, ''Film/MaximumOverdrive'', which also features a rather unpleasantly homicidal pop machine.

This trope refers to the operation of vehicles -- not just cars -- on public highways, where the vehicle has no human operating it. Might require AdvancedPhlebotinum to explain how they can get away with it. This trope would not include vehicles operated by video remote control unless it can operate without the person running the screen, nor would it usually include a vehicle running automated on a test track. The trope is more about driverless vehicles on public highways.

* The eponymous car in ''Literature/{{Christine}}'' by Creator/StephenKing has a rather nasty mind of her own...
* Automated cars and pneumatic transport tubes are used in ''Computer War'', a 1967 sci-fi by Creator/MackReynolds. However when the protagonist is arrested by the SecretPolice he's surprised to see someone is driving their vehicle, and realises it must be designed for use in rough terrain where you can't program a destination. He doesn't realise the implications however, until he's rescued by LaResistance and they inform him he was being taken out of the city to be shot.
* ''The Dream Master'' by Creator/RogerZelazny takes this to an extreme, with people joyriding in the things by repeatedly changing the destination before they arrive, sometimes with the windows blacked out.
** In one case a ''seeing eye dog'' made use of one, when going to get help for his mistress from the titular character.

* In Creator/HarryHarrison's ''Literature/{{Homeworld}}'', cars of the upper classes in most of the developed world can drive themselves provided they're on roads that have special wires under them. At the beginning of the novel, the protagonist is coming home from an inspection of a factory in another city. Upset, he gets drunk and then tries to drive. The car "smells" alcohol and refuses to allow him to drive manually until he's almost home. Later on, when he's trying to find out how the lower classes live in this 1984-esque world, he has to leave his car a few blocks away from the end of the "wire" territory, so as not to arouse [[StateSec Security's]] suspicions. When Security later decides to arrest him, they shut down his car by remote control -- he forces the doors to open by lighting a fire inside, tripping the safety mechanisms.
* This technology exists in the [[Literature/HonorHarrington Honorverse]]. When investigating a character's death by aircar collision, the examiners have a discussion which implies that it's the standard mode for aircars, at least in Haven, and that switching over to manual mode requires the user to pass a blood-alcohol test. Of course, the books also make a side-mention that Havenites routinely [[FailSafeFailure tamper with the built-in blood-alcohol testing equipment.]]
** Mesa, judging by some scenes in ''Cauldron of Ghosts'', has very tight regulations on when you can switch your car from the onboard [[ArtificialIntelligence A.I.]] to manual control.

* In Creator/RobertAHeinlein's ''Literature/JobAComedyOfJustice'', his protagonists--who are being involuntarily dumped from one [[AlternateUniverse parallel world]] to another--wind up in a relatively higher-tech universe and are picked up by a guy in a very slick automated automobile. (Both protagonists are [[NakedPeopleTrappedOutside stark naked]] at the time; also, [[spoiler:the guy who gives them a ride [[ItMakesSenseInContext later turns out to be Satan]]]].)

* In Creator/LarryNiven's ''Literature/KnownSpace'' universe, it's illegal (and, in fact, a capital offense) on Earth to operate a car on manual within city limits. Considering how some people drive and the fact that they're all ''flying cars''...

--> '''Shane:''' Autodrive is a thing that happens.
--> '''Vann:''' This is a Bureau car. [[CuttingCorners Lowest-bidder]] autodrive is not something you want to trust.

* ''Literature/MethuselahsChildren'' by Creator/RobertAHeinlein opens with a character settling back for a nap while her car drives her to her destination, before resuming manual control when she reaches the back roads.

* In the sci-fi novel (part of ''Literature/TheNightsDawnTrilogy'') by Peter F. Hamilton ''The Neutronium Alchemist'', the intelligence agents pursuing Dr Alkad Mzu have to switch to manual driving when the electronic-warfare abilities of the Possessed glitch their vehicles.

* Creator/IsaacAsimov's "{{Literature/Sally}}": This story predicted some of the controversy around robotic cars, such as the move from privately owned cars to fleets of robo-cabs. The narrator blames it on the cost of automatic automobiles, while more modern reasons would add the decreasing convenience of urban car ownership, parking, and maintenance.

* The Creator/EoinColfer novel ''Literature/TheSupernaturalist'' takes place in the [[TwentyMinutesIntoTheFuture near future]] where almost all cars use plastic treads instead of tires and lock into grooves on the roads while driving, though not all roads have this track system and are used for drag racing.
* Creator/StephenKing's short story ''Literature/{{Trucks}}'' does this with anything automotive, and they don't like humans any more...
** ''Trucks'' was later turned into a movie, ''Film/MaximumOverdrive'', which also features a rather unpleasantly homicidal pop machine.

** And auto-cabs are mentioned in both ''Literature/ACivilCampaign'' and ''Literature/CaptainVorpatrilsAlliance'', so these exist even without a municipal traffic control system.
* Used in a ''Literature/WarlockOfGramarye'' novel by Christopher Stasheff, the robot brain eventually becomes the property of Rod Gallowglass' family and Rod's faithful servant, ''Fess''.

* In the Italian ''Gomorra - La serie'', a Camorra boss has specially modified car drive him to a high-risk meeting. It looks like the car is bulletproof, but it gets blown up by an RPG-7 antitank launcher the moment it drives into the meeting area. As the ambushers stroll out hiding and smirk at the burning vehicle, the boss and TheDragon appear and gun them down. Turns out the modification enabled them to drive the car remotely.

* Johnny Cab in ''Film/TotalRecall1990'', an automated taxi driven by a [[TheUnSmile crude]] robot upper body mounted on a swivel pedestal, programmed with simplistic mannerisms like whistling or comments like "Hell of a day, isn't it?" and "Hope you enjoyed the ride!" When Quaid wakes up in one after having his memory wiped at Rekall, it's not very helpful in explaining how he got there. Later when Quaid is fleeing the armed killers who are chasing him, a Johnny Cab doesn't understand Quaid's urgent appeal to "Drive!" because he doesn't provide a specific destination, so Quaid just rips the robot off its pedestal and drives using the joystick. Then after Quaid leaves the Johnny Cab it fuses out and nearly runs him down, crashing into a wall and [[EveryCarIsAPinto exploding]].

* ''Franchise/{{Cars}}'' is all about this, as it's about anthropomorphic automobiles. Adam Sessler from Series/XPlay plays with this in his review of the game.
** Jay Ward, the creative director of ''[[WesternAnimation/{{Cars3}} Cars 3]]'' believes that they're all robot cars that rebelled and wiped humanity out years ago.

** In the ''WesternAnimation/Incredibles2'' [[spoiler:the Incredibile makes it's return and has a remote that can summon it, also taking vocal commands from the Parr kids who can't really drive at this point]].
* Benny the Cab from ''Film/WhoFramedRogerRabbit''. "No, ''I'll'' drive, ''I'm'' the cab!" [[spoiler:After being injured by some Dip, he/it ends up ''driving'' a car.]]

* In ''Webcomic/SchlockMercenary'', automated automobiles are the norm, and [=AIs=] are easily advanced enough to drive them. In fact, manual driving under influences is a crime punishable by death, as discussed [[http://www.schlockmercenary.com/2002-08-29 here]].
** It's described in the page notes as deserving capital punishment because you can't just flip a switch and be in control; the vehicles are not designed for manual control and have to be pretty extensively modified, so it amounts to deliberate murder rather than simple 'oops'.
** Less "murder" and more very serious negligence; you must first disable the safeguards preventing you from using the machine while intoxicated, enable or install a manual operation, get intoxicated, and use the machine. To quote the notes:
---> You know those signs that say "don't putz around with this system -- serious injury or death could result?" Well, they were talking about YOUR death, and it is now resulting.
** Later, Kathryn is annoyed that her [[LeParkour Parkata Urbatsu]] training is useless when she tries to fly through traffic, since all the cars are programmed to avoid collisions, and won't let her use them as jumping-off points. Schlock, on the other hand, notes that they are actually programmed to ''prevent injuries'', and is able to steal a van by jumping into traffic without a flight suit.

* ''Lierature/YakitoriSoldiersOfMisfortune'': When a SpiderTank starts firing on them as the Yakitori's armoured personnel carrier is driving down a highway, the VirtualSidekick AI recommends "random evasion mode". The driver lets go of the controls, the AI gives them a regulation warning to fasten their seatbelts--and [[DrivesLikeCrazy then everyone discovers why]].

* ''Anime/YakitoriSoldiersOfMisfortune''. When a SpiderTank starts firing on them as the Yakitori's armoured personnel carrier is driving down a highway, the VirtualSidekick AI recommends "random evasion mode". The driver lets go of the controls, the AI gives them a regulation warning to fasten their seatbelts--and [[DrivesLikeCrazy then everyone discovers why]].

Increasingly, this is TruthInTelevision – from simple "guided buses" using [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guided_bus#Optical_Guidance optical guidance]] to [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Autonomous_car fully-robotic self-driving car prototypes]]. DARPA, Google, multiple major carmakers and even some leading universities have demonstrated functional autonomous cars as of 2013. Meanwhile, autopilots have existed for almost as long as airplanes have, but then there has always been far less chance of crashing into another vehicle while in the air due to there being much more empty space to navigate in.

** In the ''WesternAnimation/Incredibles2''[[spoiler: the Incredibile makes it's return and has a remote that can summon it, also taking vocal commands from the Parr kids who can't really drive at this point]].

* ''Film/{{Timecop}}'' has futuristic-looking government cars with computers taking you to your destination (in the year 2004!). Van Damme's character demonstrates this by initializing the system and the computer asks for his destination. He replied, "home." [[spoiler: This allows him to be surprised at the end of the film when the car takes him to a different home.]]

* In Creator/RobertAHeinlein's ''Literature/JobAComedyOfJustice'', his protagonists--who are being involuntarily dumped from one [[AlternateUniverse parallel world]] to another--wind up in a relatively higher-tech universe and are picked up by a guy in a very slick automated automobile. (Both protagonists are [[NakedPeopleTrappedOutside stark naked]] at the time; also, [[spoiler: the guy who gives them a ride [[ItMakesSenseInContext later turns out to be Satan]]]].)

* Quite a few Franchise/{{Transformers}} have car altmodes, so they qualify. This was played with in the 2007 ''Film/{{Transformers|2007}}'' film, where Bumblebee conveniently "breaks down" at a MakeOutPoint while carrying Sam and Michaela.

* Quite a few Franchise/{{Transformers}} have car altmodes, so they qualify. This was played with in [[Film/{{Transformers}} The Movie]], where Bumblebee conveniently "breaks down" at a MakeOutPoint while carrying Sam and Michaela.

* The "Glory Days" flashback sequence in ''WesternAnimation/TheIncredibles'' briefly shows the [[ThemeMobile Incredibile]] driving itself while Mr. Incredible changes into costume.

* The movie ''WesternAnimation/{{Cars}}'' is all about this, as it's about anthropomorphic automobiles. Adam Sessler from Series/XPlay plays with this in his review of the game.

* ''LightNovel/ACertainMagicalIndex'': Academy City has self-driving electric buses, though they're only brought out on special occasions when the general public is permitted into the city. Most of the time they have ordinary manually-driven buses like most other places.

* ''Series/BlackMirror''. In "Metalhead", a KillerRobot dog kills the driver of a van, then hacks into its computer to start the van up again, chase down the protagonist and run her off the road.

* ''LightNovel/RebuildWorld'': Most cars are like this with it being a futuristic CyberPunk setting. One of the more notable cases is that rental vehicles will auto-drive back to the dealership if they receive damage. Akira’s VirtualSidekick Alpha always hacks the control units of vehicles he gets, so they can do some impressive CarFu or a HighSpeedMissileDodge thanks to that. After NewMeat Togami spends most of a battle clinging for dear life to Akira’s car due to this, Togami gets told to his bafflement by Shirakabe that auto pilot functions are simplistic and to drive his APC.

* These had just been invented in ''Literature/{{Remnants}}'' when [[KillEmAll the rock hit]]. It mentions that the legal driving age was reduced to twelve if you're driving an automated car.

'''Excel:''' (Karate chops Shiouji in the head.) You ''dare'' even '''''attempt''''' to utter that line?!

* In ''Film/The6thDay'', Adam Gibson (Creator/ArnoldSchwarzenegger) and his friend have a chat to each other while their car drives itself. The car then asks if he wants to switch to manual mode as they near the heliport where they work, which Arnie does.
* ''Film/Bladerunner2049'' opens with the protagonist asleep in his FlyingCar as it flies over a future California changed by environmental disaster and massive factory farms. The car beeps to wake him up when it nears his destination.
* ''Film/TheCar'' (1977) is about a car that goes on a killing spree. Presumably, [[spoiler:being possessed by a demon rather than just being driven by one]] brings it within this trope.
** In the sequel ''Film/TheCarRoadToRevenge'', [[HauntedTechnology the spirit of a murdered man possesses]] his CoolCar and the car goes on a RoaringRampageOfRevenge.
* The Tumbler Batmobile in ''Film/TheDarkKnight''.
** Though the ''Film/Batman1989'' and ''Film/BatmanReturns'' Batmobile can be controlled via simple voice commands, when following those general instructions it appears to have AI that can make specific navigational decisions without user input.

* In a future presented in ''Film/HotTubTimeMachine 2'', all cars are automated smart cars, no one owns one anymore and they always seem to know when to pick someone up who needs a drive. They're generally respected because their onboard [=AIs=] get a little vengeful when mistreated.
* In the ''Film/InspectorGadget'' [[TheMovie movie]], the Gadgetmobile became an automated talking car.
* ''Film/TheInternship'' naturally has one show up since it is set at Google. Though in real life, the cars would have human drivers in them at all times.
* The ''Film/IRobot'' movie has Spooner taking a snooze while his automated Audi drives itself. Later in the movie, after he's involved in an accident [[spoiler:caused by a lorry load of robotic assassins]], he's chewed out for driving manually at high speed, implying it's unusual (as part of his technophobic ways) that he drives manually. He was also going in excess of 100 mph. It's assumed that machines have quick enough reactions to avoid accidents. Humans aren't that quick.

* In ''Film/TheLoveBug'' movies, Herbie the VW Beetle goes exactly where he wants to, sometimes with helpless passengers trapped inside. [[spoiler:There’s others in the subsequent installments - his Beetle army; made up of all the sentient ones in San Francisco; plus [[LoveAtFirstSight Giselle the Lancia Scorpion]], [[EvilKnockoff Horace the Hate Bug]], and the unnamed yellow and black Beetle]].

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