Cars are getting more efficient and using cleaner fuels. They're getting smarter and safer, even being able to save you from your own bad driving. You can use pocket-sized computers to hail a car to your door, or to track your own stolen vehicle. Cars can park themselves, steer themselves, follow, and even pass other cars on their own. You don't even need to own a car anymore to enjoy their benefits. As carsharing continues to grow and cars become more and more autonomous, we're about to take the next step into the future with robotic carsharing.
According to ABI research, there are three phases to the carsharing economy. The first is street rental, which services like Zipcar have nailed down. Next comes ride sharing taxis, like Uber. Currently, the first two phases are merging as the third phase is emerging. The next step is robotic service, where cars drive themselves to your door and take you where you need to go. ABI Research says that robotic carsharing will be the chosen mode of transport for some 400 million people by the year 2030.
As it becomes easier and easier to summon a ride when you need it, vehicle ownership will decrease, vehicles will be used more efficiently and people will save money on insurance and maintenance costs while owners will be able to monetize their assets.
"Once the new car sharing economy reaches its final frontier," says ABI Research Managing Director and Vice President Dominique Bonte, "robotic car services will transform the industry, resulting in in decreased car ownership, blurred lines between public and private transportation, enhanced social mobility, new infotainment paradigms and an overall consolidation of the automotive industry."
