Are we being forced to go electric?

[cougie uk]

Will uber get my boat in and out of the lake?

Did I miss the bit where all personal vehicles were outlawed ?

 

[nickyboy]

This assumes a model of pay-per-use - it might be that a carpooling or subscription service becomes normalised so that you can hail a ride whenever you need it with no further cost.

Additionally, if you give up the need for a personal car then you don't need a house with a driveway, so may be able to live nearer to places you want to get to. You may also not need a garage. You also save yourself the cost of owning a vehicle, which funds a lot of taxi rides.

As stated above, for most domestic users a car spends most of the time being an ornament. In a commercial context you'd never have a machine with such low utilisation rates and it represents a big depreciating asset.

History shows that these huge shifts do occur. But they never happen as quickly as people expect based on rational analysis. Inevitably, younger people, maybe never having owned their own vehicle will be easily persuaded to just use a subscription/pooling model. But older folk, with decades of personal car ownership? They are going to take a huge amount of shifting.

My guess would be this: If a reliable self driving, ride hailing system became available today it would be decades before it became the prevailing method that people used for personal transport

 

[Tenkaykev]

Will uber get my boat in and out of the lake?

That's a separate App, UBoat 😉

 

[figbat]

The shift is already underway. Uptake of driving lessons has been down in young'uns for a while; these are the Uber/Lyft generation who will likely catalyse the revolution. But yes, it will take time to become mainstream. That said, EVs have taken off quicker than forecasted even a handful of years ago.

I sometimes feel sad that my kids may never do 'proper' driving, with clutches and gearsticks and such.

 

[Milkfloat]

Not for long, once you spend hours in traffic if everyone did the same.

There won't be traffic - the road will be utilised better. With no need for traffic lights, give ways and stop signs together with cars that can cross within inches of each other the road capacity will be significantly greater.

 

[ClichéGuevara]

There won't be traffic - the road will be utilised better. With no need for traffic lights, give ways and stop signs together with cars that can cross within inches of each other the road capacity will be significantly greater.

I hope they don't frighten the unicorns.

 

[cougie uk]

There's always going to be traffic.

The next generation will struggle to buy houses. They are not going to have the spare cash to spend on expensive cars.

Self driving cabs will be perfect for them. They'll need all the cash they can to get a roof over their heads.

 

[All uphill]

History shows that these huge shifts do occur. But they never happen as quickly as people expect based on rational analysis. Inevitably, younger people, maybe never having owned their own vehicle will be easily persuaded to just use a subscription/pooling model. But older folk, with decades of personal car ownership? They are going to take a huge amount of shifting.

My guess would be this: If a reliable self driving, ride hailing system became available today it would be decades before it became the prevailing method that people used for personal transport

I, for one, have owned cars for nearly 50 years and can't wait to move to a ride hailing option.

I hate the depreciation, maintenance, taxes and use of space and precious capital.

Let's go!

 

[fossyant]

I, for one, have owned cars for nearly 50 years and can't wait to move to a ride hailing option.

I hate the depreciation, maintenance, taxes and use of space and precious capital.

Let's go!

I don't enjoy driving any more, it's crap. We'd be better served by better public transport, not individual vehicles. Even short term, we need manufacturers to produce more cheaper city 'electric cars' cars. One of those would be ideal for many people's commutes. Under 30 miles return, plug in at home/work, don't need any more than 100 mile range (to keep costs down), doesn't really need to go faster than 70 mph, and doesn't need to do 0.60 in 3 seconds.

That Dacia looks ideal. Even those little mini city bug things that are on the horizon, but at least the Dacia is super mini sized without the 'super' premium.

 

[Electric_Andy]

manufacturers to produce more cheaper city 'electric cars' cars

I don't think you could have one as a do-it-all car. There's the Renault Twizy which looks ideal for commuting and short runs, easy to park, could probably fit some shopping in too. But you wouldn't want to take it on holiday. If public transport was better outside of the biggest cities then maybe take a train or hire a car, but for many I'd think that a very small electric would be useful for a 2 car family, but not on it's own.

To have a sole car per family, you're into a mid-sized family electric car which is I think what most of them are now

 

[fossyant]

I don't think you could have one as a do-it-all car. There's the Renault Twizy which looks ideal for commuting and short runs, easy to park, could probably fit some shopping in too. But you wouldn't want to take it on holiday. If public transport was better outside of the biggest cities then maybe take a train or hire a car, but for many I'd think that a very small electric would be useful for a 2 car family, but not on it's own.

To have a sole car per family, you're into a mid-sized family electric car which is I think what most of them are now

I'd have one in a shot as a 'run around'. We've got two bigish family planet burners, which you could replace with a cheap electric run around. I'm not one for spending £35k on a tin box though

 

[Electric_Andy]

yeah saftey would be a bit of a concern! Also you'd need to wear a coat if it was raining

 

[Milkfloat]

I hope they don't frighten the unicorns.

Frighten them, they will mow them all down. I work in the industry, all this is a long, long way off.

 

[vickster]

I'd have one in a shot as a 'run around'. We've got two bigish family planet burners, which you could replace with a cheap electric run around. I'm not one for spending £35k on a tin box though

Your son would need to give up his car too (if it's actually working ...those millennials need to embrace this, future for them not us (slightly) oldies

 

[fossyant]

Your son would need to give up his car too (if it's actually working ...those millennials need to embrace this, future for them not us (slightly) oldies

I can't see him and his mates giving up their fart boxes. PS It's still broken.