Times are changing and today I wanted to look at the auto industry and the shift towards autonomous solutions and a push towards taxing those on the road. In a world where electric vehicles are becoming heavily subsidised, the jump to EVs is highly attractive. The savings are beneficial in the long run and in some cases, the service and warranty are something that many customers will appreciate in a brand new vehicle. Long standing history behind manufacturing is one thing but the auto industry is changing and so is the way people approach driving in general.
Years back, hitting the road was the dream. Grabbing your licence and first car were essential experiences. Manual transmission is also the preferred way to pass to be able to drive both vehicle types. Yet in recent years, automatic transmission is quickly becoming a viable choice for many. For those with injuries, the automatic style of driving is a massive quality of life change. Now as we move forward into a connected and autonomous world, we see the introduction of driverless experiences. It’s still a while off but the future of a driverless society has been pitched in various cities.
So a future where we remain in the passenger’s seat might be a little closer than we think. Infrastructure continues towards a connected future and technology along our roads is quickly becoming a reality. While driverless technology has not reached a level of acceptable safety, I believe the future will eventually move towards driverless services when safety figures and measures reach a level that exceeds current standards. Current solutions require vehicles to constantly sense and calculate actions on the fly. With connected roads and better data inputs, safety factors should increase tenfold and we may finally see the world of driverless vehicles arrive. Perhaps we may even see a dedicated lane in the interim as this technology develops. But for now, I will sit behind the wheel and go where I need to be!