Autonomous Vehicles: The Decrease In Car Ownership

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One of the more surprising effects that the advent of truly autonomous cars is expected to bring is a decrease in car ownership. According to one estimate by Barclays Capital, car ownership could fall by almost half in the next 25 years (Markman, 2015, p. 2). While this prediction may seem dim, it is not because fewer people will want or need cars, but an increase of carpooling or community cars. Since cars will no longer need a driver, they could act as a taxi service, dropping off patrons, and then going to pick up others, instead of sitting "idle most of the day in driveways or parking lots" as they do currently (Bailey, 2014, p. 3). This would allow for less cars, while maintaining a similar level of access to transportation, thus reducing …show more content…
One study conducted by Columbia University's Earth Institute predicts that shared autonomous vehicles could cut individual travel costs by up to 75 percent (Bailey, 2014, p. 3). While these savings may seem too good to be true, there are multiple ways that autonomous vehicles cut transportation costs, including fuel savings and fewer personnel to pay. Since self-driving vehicles are expected to be much safer, they can be built lighter than today’s cars, as they would need less protection (Bailey, 2014, p. 4). The reduction in weight would allow for smaller engines to be used in these vehicles, thus cutting the amount of fuel needed. They could also be programmed to accelerate and decelerate smoother, which would also cut fuel costs (Bailey, 2014, p. 4). Additionally, since cars will not need drivers, fewer employees will be required to keep an autonomous fleet running properly than it does to keep a fleet of traditional vehicles running (Hodson, 2015, p. 2). Because there are fewer employees to pay, the costs of running public transportation will be decreased, translating to lower transportation …show more content…
But with self-driving cars, both of these concerns can be remedied. As already discussed, transportation costs will be cut by self-driving cars, and if no drivers are required, people could use their commute time for whatever they wanted (Bos & Diels, 2015, p. 1). People would be able to live farther away from their jobs, as they would not be losing their commute time, but rather gaining time that they can use for most anything, including sleeping and working. The ability to work while commuting would change people's viewpoints of commuting (Bailey, 2014, p. 3). Since autonomous cars would need to be connected to the internet, commuters would be equipped with everything they need to work, thus allowing them to leave for work later and leave for home earlier. The definition of a 9 to 5 workday could change to leaving for work at 9 a.m. and arriving home at 5 p.m., thus allowing for more leisure
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