Driverless cars could change everything

[DaFace]

Originally Posted by Ming the Merciless

The main issue will be cost.


It will be FAR cheaper to order your car a couple times a day than to own a car and pay for it just to have it sit around for 20 hours a day.


Ordering cars will get faster , cheaper and easier. Most people are not going to choose to pay for a car or two full time when they can just order and use them as needed.


Just my thoughts... main issue: cost


When the cost of driverless is far less than owning, thats when people will start switching.

Maybe. Convenience goes a long way as well, though. If you actually think through how much people spend on cars - $500 car payments are pretty common plus maintenance and fuel. Compare that with calling an Uber a couple of times a day at $10-$15 per ride, and the cost equation isn't really that far off for many people even with drivers.

However, having to wait 5-10 minutes every time you need a ride? That kind of starts to suck.

[Ming the Merciless]

Originally Posted by DaFace

Maybe. Convenience goes a long way as well, though. If you actually think through how much people spend on cars - $500 car payments are pretty common plus maintenance and fuel. Compare that with calling an Uber a couple of times a day at $10-$15 per ride, and the cost equation isn't really that far off for many people even with drivers.

However, having to wait 5-10 minutes every time you need a ride? That kind of starts to suck.

Im talking about total costs.


The models that I have seen are something like this:


You join a club/group and pay a monthly fee to be able to use 1, 2 or 3 different kinds of vehicles. (A pickup, a sedan, a minivan for example, so multiply the total costs!). You get so many hours over a month, and if you go over you can pay extra.


But the savings will be there. No insurance, No maintenance, No fuel costs etc. Paying for part of a car in a group will absolutely be cheaper than paying for a whole car that sits around most of the time. Plus you will have more options for different types of vehicles.


I dont think people will pay MORE for the "convienience" of not having a car right at their house (so I agree with you on that) .. But you bet your ass people will join clubs where you pay LESS for having access to more kinds of cars and no insurance/gas/oil changes/ repairs ! (and be willing to wait 10 min)


Also, obviously not EVERYONE will do this. Guys like me who need a truck for work, probably will have a work truck at home. Or people who drive more than allowed by group ownership etc, or maybe as a luxury or status symbol.

[Hoover]

Originally Posted by Ming the Merciless

Im talking about total costs.


The models that I have seen are something like this:


You join a club/group and pay a monthly fee to be able to use 1, 2 or 3 different kinds of vehicles. (A pickup, a sedan, a minivan for example, so multiply the total costs!). You get so many hours over a month, and if you go over you can pay extra.


But the savings will be there. No insurance, No maintenance, No fuel costs etc. Paying for part of a car in a group will absolutely be cheaper than paying for a whole car that sits around most of the time. Plus you will have more options for different types of vehicles.


I dont think people will pay MORE for the "convienience" of not having a car right at their house (so I agree with you on that) .. But you bet your ass people will join clubs where you pay LESS for having access to more kinds of cars and no insurance/gas/oil changes/ repairs ! (and be willing to wait 10 min)


Also, obviously not EVERYONE will do this. Guys like me who need a truck for work, probably will have a work truck at home. Or people who drive more than allowed by group ownership etc, or maybe as a luxury or status symbol.

This is probably the next logical step.

I'm a tight ass when it comes to cars. I'd love to have a nice vehicle in the garage but I just can't justify the expense. My two cars are both over ten years old one both over 100k miles, one is over 210k. Have not had a car payment for 8 years now.

The ONLY time I wish I had something different is when we are going on a trip of some sort. A subscription service would be great for that. Still think I'd want to have something sitting in the garage, but maybe that plus a subscription would be great.