Doubters say self-driving cars still a way off

Some countries are already establishing rules for driverless cars. The British government already requires the person sitting in the driver's seat to wear a seatbelt. That person will also be responsible for speeding fines or penalties incurred, according to the Daily Mail. "Ministers have previously admitted that the current Highway Code and rules of the road are inadequate for the new generation of vehicles which pilot themselves," the newspaper said.

Marco della Cava, a reporter for USA Today, wrote that if the "technology proves too costly, complex or remotely unsafe, it isn't likely to make its way into production because the considerable investment won't be recouped".

And for quite a large number of people, driving is a pleasure but not a burden, so it would hard to persuade this group, Dong adds.

Despite the challenges, Dong says driverless will eventually become a part of everyday life. "Twenty years ago, we had a similar debate on whether the computer should interfere with the driving habits of humans at all, but now the disputes have been resolved because we have reached an agreement that computer-aided functions help reduce the possibility of accidents, and reduce deaths and injuries."

More than 80,000 people are killed or injured in car accidents every year in China, mostly because of human error. The China Association of Automobile Manufacturers says that if all cars become self-driving, the number of accidents can be reduced by 90 percent, and the number of deaths reduced by 99 percent. Meanwhile, the traffic efficiency can be raised by 40 percent and the fuel efficiency up by 30 percent.

In the future, the most valuable part of a car will be the safety-driving system, not the engine, Dong says.

Industry veterans also say that consumers, not manufacturers, should decide what functions should be added to self-driving cars. Thomas Weber, Mercedes-Benz head of group research, says people must discuss how they want to interact with cars in the future.

"Autonomous driving needs a huge public discussion with customers willing to talk about it," Weber told the Sydney Morning Herald. "We believe the future of the car is bright, but only if we change something - going green, going autonomous, going connected.

"Some of this has started, but we are in the beginning."