What if you put the dog into the car to go to the vet (unaccompanied by a human) and the car needs gas on the way back? Maybe it would be able to calculate the amount of gas needed for the trip - but then suppose some unexpected detour or traffic issue caused a re-route? At any rate - would it be able to gas up itself and charge your card?
My dad had a beagle growing up that waited on the front steps of the vet when he got his paw caught in a rabbit snare. It was about a mile from the house, but he knew who would fix him!I agree with you in principal. As far as the animals knowing where they're going, I've had dog's I could imagine intentionally stealing the car and going to the beach or something. And the pug... He might choose to go to the vet whether he needed to or not because they usually give him a cookie.
Another problem is how a robotic car would respond to emergency vehicles. How will it know whether to pull over to let them pass? That problem could be solved eventually with integration of information transfer between vehicles, but it would be a problem at the outset.
My daydreams of the future were always dominated by things like teleporter beams and laser guns. I never thought the car taking off with my credit card would be a concern.