Unless you live in a major urban hub where parking spots are scarce and public transportation is extensive, you probably own a car and probably cannot imagine how you would get by without it.
Believe it or not, you may feel completely the opposite 10 years from now! When several car manufacturing executives were surveyed about industry trends in January, most said they expect the number of people who own cars to have dropped by half … because they simply won’t need their own car!
“Mobility as a Service”
Currently, most every major automaker is working on its version of a self-driving car … a car that get passengers from point A to point B without being “driven” by a human. Some semi-autonomous vehicles are on roadways already. This opens up myriad opportunities for the future. Many experts envision fleets of eco-friendly autonomous vehicles owned by large corporations roaming the roadways. Instead of owning a car (and paying for its upkeep, insurance, parking, etc.), people will subscribe to services. When they need to go to work, go shopping, or go across the country, they’ll simply summon a car by pushing a button on their smart phone.
A Safer, Quicker Way to Travel
Not only will all of these easy-to-hire driverless cars give many consumers a reason to ditch car ownership, they’ll also enhance the driving experience for everyone – even people who do decide to own and drive their own car. Driverless cars are not subject to the human error and human whims that lead to so many accidents and so much traffic. Because every aspect of the drive is programmed and intuitive, cars will be able to faster, safer. There will be no “driving under the influence” with driverless cars. There will be no “rubbernecking” that brings traffic to a crawl.
As the car culture evolves and becomes more efficient, the entire future is certain to look different. It appears that the future portrayed in sci-fi will soon be reality!