Imagine that you had your own chauffeur at your beck and call whenever you want to get someplace, and this chauffeur would be virtual. Sounds pretty futuristic, right? You might be surprised to know that this future is not far off, as autonomous cars are coming to fill this exact purpose.
Autonomous cars are self-driving, and do not require passengers to watch the road or do anything special to get to their destination. Accordingly, autonomous car sharing is a service that lets passengers take a ride in an autonomous car, usually through an application that helps them find the nearest available car and rent it for a short while. With self-driving cars set to debut to the general public this decade, autonomous car sharing can soon become a booming industry. Let’s take a closer look.
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How autonomous car sharing will impact our lives
This new form of shared mobility is a big deal because it will have a far-reaching impact on our lives and the transportation industry in particular. Here are a few examples of the changes we can expect:
Safer roads
Once the technology is perfected, self-driving vehicles should do a much better job of driving than an average person does. They will not get tired or distracted, speed too much, or take unnecessary risks. As a result, the roads will be much safer with more “responsible drivers”.
Better service
For users that rely on taxis or ridesourcing services like Uber and Lyft, autonomous ride services will be a godsend. They will have no fear of bad or unstable drivers or that the driver will try to cheat them in any way. The nature of the technology will make it possible for fleet operators to dispatch these vehicles evenly to areas of need, making it much easier and faster for users to get a ride. As an extra perk, the cars will be able to park anywhere after the passengers leave, so this will decrease the congestion of popular parking spots.
Smaller carbon footprint
Autonomous cars will be able to fit more passengers going to the same place, reducing the need for more cars. Furthermore, the proliferation of this kind of mobility service should contribute to fewer cars on the road, reducing traffic. It is also important to mention that this type of vehicle drives more efficiently than a human driver, so less fuel is spent. All of these factors add up to a smaller carbon footprint.
How businesses can prepare for this new trend
If your business is connected to automobiles and transportation, there are several things you can do to prepare for the inevitable arrival of self-driving cars. For anyone based in the shared mobility niche, adapting will be essential. Firstly, you should examine and try to predict how the new cars will impact your business, and what you can do to make the change a boost to your business instead of a detriment.
Additionally, you might want to build infrastructure to support the new automobiles. For example, you can start developing a mobility app that will connect self-driving cars to your fleet and distribute them throughout urban and rural regions.
