"...until the day someone can actually buy the stuff"
I'm reasonably certain we can stop right there. It's a heavily regulated field and these things can't be sold until they've been rigorously tested. I know SV isn't known for its coziness with regulatory agencies, but in the field of safety, they'll have to play ball or take on all the liability the lawsuits will throw at them.
Plus, many of the players do not have the intention of ever letting you "buy" the hardware. You will be buying transportation from A -> B, and it might just come in the form of an autonomous car (or a human driver).
I'm reasonably certain we can stop right there. It's a heavily regulated field and these things can't be sold until they've been rigorously tested. I know SV isn't known for its coziness with regulatory agencies, but in the field of safety, they'll have to play ball or take on all the liability the lawsuits will throw at them.