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What'd you say, GM? Recalibrate what "personal mobility & car travel" will be about?

2K views 18 replies 8 participants last post by  Tone 
#1 · (Edited)
What'd you say, GM? Recalibrate what "personal mobility & car travel" will be about?

Look, we can forever discuss propulsion techniques, company strategies, car design, the potential impact of newcomers like Tesla, Google and perhaps Apple, etc. on fora like this one, to me the fundamental question is in which direction 'personal mobility' and car travel are heading, literally... Let's do some extrapolating, shall we?

1. As long as we cannot "beam me up, Scotty" from A to B, personal mobility (as opposed to public transport) will require a 'tangible transportation device'. Most people prefer a car of some sort. Weighing 15-30 times more than the driver, the car requires a lot of 'building material'. Basically all energy goes into moving around the 'device' that is transporting who's driving. No wonder that the car represents the biggest consumer purchase and expense most people do.

2. There is more to personal mobility than having cars roll off the assembly line and sell them to the public (the car industry's business model). I am referring to the bigger picture: going from A to B should not be only about the transportation mode itself. Other road users are involved too. And there are a lot of them these days. For instance, with a width that usually equals the driver's length, the car squeezes itself through traffic. No wonder that single occupancy of a car, seen most frequent during rush hour, contributes to gridlock.

3. Any alternatives? Yes. Autonomous drive holds the promise of cars utilizing the present infrastructure better than it's being done right now. Car or ride sharing holds the promise of utilizing the car better (90-95% of the time the car is not being used). Combine robo-drive and car/ride sharing, and you get an idea what Google is aiming for: anywhere from breaking down car ownership, and have it replaced by other ways of using transportation devices, to competing with public transportation. Apple we don't know yet.



4. Noticed how unassuming, bland-looking and small the Google robo car turned out to be? I am sure nobody would mind sharing one with other people. It would free up a lot of resources, leaving more money in people's pockets. Google (/Uber) is big when it comes to the utilitarian factor, the sharing, bringing down the waste and the excess. But where is the fun factor? That Google car leaves a lot to be desired. There are more exciting, new ways of combining utilitarian and recreational into a 'next-generation personal transportation device'. But it looks to me that this sort of "recalibrated", fresh approach is not being covered by GM... Or am I mistaking? Am I talking too much like a "foreigner looking in"?

Let me know.
 
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#3 ·
Re: What'd you say, GM? Recalibrate what "personal mobility & car travel" will be abo

I hope I'm dead by the time something like that Google car is common on our roads. And no way I'm sharing my car with anybody, or allowing some damn computer to drive me around. I'm about ready to join the resistance!
The next step is to question the necessity for you going from A to B. Does anyone want that?
 
#5 ·
Re: What'd you say, GM? Recalibrate what "personal mobility & car travel" will be abo

In movies that feature an oppressive, dystopian future, this is usually the sort of car that you see. Identical, interchangeable. Transport pods.
 
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#9 ·
Re: What'd you say, GM? Recalibrate what "personal mobility & car travel" will be abo

What's the alternative to "putting up with these charlatans?" They have the right to spout all the nonsense that they want.

Sadly, a lot of people do believe them.
 
#11 ·
Re: What'd you say, GM? Recalibrate what "personal mobility & car travel" will be abo

Guys... guys... There is no conflict of interests between the old and the what's coming, between petrol heads (is that a British term?) and dotcom nerds. Reminds me of what Numero Uno petrol head Jay Leno said on a TopGear show. It basically comes down to this: it will free up resources. The more alternatively propelled vehicles there are, the more gasoline is left for us to put in the cars we cherish. May I add: not only free up resources, but free up freeway space too as robo cars will drive in close proximity to one another.
 
#12 ·
Re: What'd you say, GM? Recalibrate what "personal mobility & car travel" will be abo

Guys... guys... There is no conflict of interests between the old and the what's coming, between petrol heads (is that a British term?) and dotcom nerds. Reminds me of what Numero Uno petrol head Jay Leno said on a TopGear show. It basically comes down to this: it will free up resources. The more alternatively propelled vehicles there are, the more gasoline is left for us to put in the cars we cherish. May I add: not only free up resources, but free up freeway space too as robo cars will drive in close proximity to one another.
I for one do NOT mind the ROBOCAR as an idea and even would use it depending on cost / reliability of service

and to an extent see it like the suburb VS the NEW "condo" LIFE STYLE both ideals get along and suit differing lifestyles

I would NOT GIVE UP car ownership but would definitely consider a DIFFERENT car, one a LOT LESS practical
 
#14 ·
Re: What'd you say, GM? Recalibrate what "personal mobility & car travel" will be abo

Too bad this thread has become a rant off regarding left wing/right wing 'positions'. The technology revolution in transportation will shake up the status quo and likely in unpredictable ways. Because, while technology roadmaps are somewhat predictable, people's reaction to technology is often very hard to predict. It's a fascinating topic that deserves more than talk-radio rants.

When I see autonomous cars, I don't see it as a direct replacement for personal vehicles. I see it as a huge, potentially disruptive change in public transportation. In an urban area, the notion that I could summons transportation with smart phone that takes me directly to my destination, likely for a small premium over today's bus/subway service, would be a revelation. Given the remarkable overhead in today's public transit -- both in terms of capital and operating costs, this could be hugely disruptive if (and that's a bit if) such a system of autonomous vehicles could move large amounts of people quickly and efficiently. Given a strong mapping/route optimization and the point-to-point nature of the service, I'm very curious what the carrying capacity of such a service might be -- and what elements of today's public transit could be displaced. I wouldn't want to own an old-school taxi company right now!

Better 'public' transit in urban areas will undoubtedly reduce private car ownership. And, it will make predictable trips like commuting far easier to do without your own car. But, this type of service wouldn't be ideal for longer, irregular trips. For that, you'd probably still want access to your own vehicle. Some degree of autonomy there ('Supercruise") may be desirable. But, as many point out, it's hard to predict how people will take to their cars driving themselves. Will they be comfortable with ceding control? What will the liability look like? If I have autonomous 'services' handling the boring commuting and crowded urban driving, do I want to enjoy actually driving on other trips? There are lots of unknowables at this point. Just because a technology exists, doesn't mean we'll use it for everything.

I believe Porsche (the man, not the car) once said that when nobody needed a car, the last car would be a sports car. In other words, stripped of the need to provide service, all that would be left would be driving for pleasure. Few people use horses for transportation, but horses are still ridden for sport. Autonomous vehicles may result in a collapsing market for beige Camrys, but a continued market for Z06 Corvettes! But, until the technology is actually available, its hard to predict how people will react to it.
 
#15 ·
Re: What'd you say, GM? Recalibrate what "personal mobility & car travel" will be abo

Too bad this thread has become a rant off regarding left wing/right wing 'positions'. The technology revolution in transportation will shake up the status quo and likely in unpredictable ways. Because, while technology roadmaps are somewhat predictable, people's reaction to technology is often very hard to predict. It's a fascinating topic that deserves more than talk-radio rants.
Wasn't my intent with my post. But when you think of celebs, you tend to think of left-wingers since they mostly are.

That one Baldwin brother does the conservative side no favors when he opens his mouth.
 
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#19 ·
Re: What'd you say, GM? Recalibrate what "personal mobility & car travel" will be abo

I wonder if the space will split into low-speed, high traffic autonomous taxis and driver enhancements/aids that will allow drivers a sense of control while reducing effort. Think 'autotune' for driving: you still need minimum input, but the car tends to ensuring that your input has the correct result.

But, that's just a guess. It's really hard to predict how now tech will get adopted.
 
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