Originally Posted by
I-Like-To-Bike
Isn't that the movie where the LCD folks in driverless cars were attacked by agents of The Automotive Conspiracy who donned dinosaur costumes to hide their true identity?
At times it is like someone is dreaming about all of these self driving cars and when they wake up they expect them to be a reality. At one time I got caught up in the possibility that self driving cars were close before reality of government restrictions, legal obligations, and the proliferation of lawyers just waiting to sue anyone for anything that might happen because a Self driving care malfunctioned. The technicalities may be massive and places like MIT may publish opinions that we are no where close but that doesn't seem to matter to dreamers.
I might see more EVs in the future but I still don't see people changing that much. How we travel will always be a personal choice. Private or public transportation will be favored by some but not all commuters and the word "mine" will always be one of the first words we hear our children speak.
We live in a society of owners and renters. That is pretty much how it has been for centuries. Uber and Lyft haven't changed those dynamics since their introduction and they are already here. Self driving cars aren't likely to add to mass transit if they ever exist nor will they keep those that are already able to buy a vehicle that they can say, "this is mine," than they do now. At least in my opinion.
Full disclosure here. In college I fell for the Small scooters and motorbikes were going to replace cars and save the US fuel supply. I got on board. 90cc Honda, then a 150cc Honda. Then a 250cc Kawasaki. Then a 650 Yamaha. Then a 750 Kawasaki. Then a 850 Yamaha. America never converted to a massive small motorbike society. I know it may not be relevant but it is my story and I am sticking to it.