The autonomous vehicle is a one-of-a-kind object. In 2017, then Prime Minister Édouard Philippe positively identified it as one of " the wildest dreams " present from the earliest days of the automobile. Over the years, however, the vehicle has become more divisive. Detractors denounce it as a new technological fad, a harmful innovation at odds with citizens' aspirations to protect the environment.

By contrast, advocates present it as the vector of a new revolution in mobility, more efficient, safer, more sustainable and, above all, more inclusive. Given the scale of these questions and the changes to come, the theme of autonomous vehicles has been on the agenda of business leaders and political decision-makers since the mid-2010s. 

However, far from the promises of inclusivity and sustainability, it would seem that the approach to autonomous vehicles has mainly been from a technological angle, insisting on a form of technological fatalism (techno push), and the uses of this new mobility solution seen primarily in an urban context.

This two-way characteristic is due to the fact that the subject has been driven primarily by the American digital giants, who have helped turn the autonomous vehicle from a research topic into a commercial item. Their efforts have had the effect of shaping the collective mindset around autonomous vehicles. They have turned it into a luxury object for urban populations, far from the promises of accessibility, inclusiveness and sustainability that are often put forward in Europe and France to justify the investments into this technology.