The CDX Blog

The concept of shared mobility has been transforming the way we think about transportation. Combined with the advent of self-driving vehicles, the idea of not physically owning the vehicle and just using it for transportation will require a psychological change in the population. As generations change their attitudes and desires on transportation, the OEM’s must adapt to this changing demographic. This includes car-sharing, ride-hailing, bike-sharing, and other forms of shared transportation. The goal of shared mobility is to maximize the use of transportation resources, reduce costs for users, and minimize environmental impact.  

Self-Driving and Shared Mobility
Self-driving vehicles, also known as autonomous vehicles (AVs), use advanced sensors, algorithms, and artificial intelligence (AI) to navigate and operate without human intervention. These vehicles have the potential to revolutionize shared mobility by offering safe, efficient, and convenient transportation options. With the average cost of owning and operating a vehicle at $12,182 per year, it is a huge expense for any person no matter where they reside. Add this cost to other living costs such as rent, student loans and food costs, the desire to own a vehicle is on a downhill trend. Social economic trends are pushing consumers to reevaluate what is important in their life when it comes to expenses. As this evaluation by consumers continues, the rise of shared mobility and autonomous vehicle operation increasingly becomes a viable option for a larger portion of the populous.

The Future of Vehicle Ownership Needs
With connected vehicles becoming more prevalent on the roadway, the ability to increase the availability of an autonomously operated vehicle is increasing daily. By the year 2050, 68% of the world’s population will live in a major urban center which will further contract vehicle ownership as these people will not be able to physically have a vehicle near them. With this shift to city life, generational differences between Millennials, Gen Z and Gen Alpha will continue to increase the use of ride sharing programs for transportation. This change in how people view vehicle ownership will drastically change the automotive industry. Going from individual vehicle ownership to a more corporate or service-oriented industry will cause the repair field to shift to one of a more fleet type, similar to that in the heavy trucking industry.  

Without the need to buy a vehicle, consumers will have to adjust their spending based on the need for paying for each individual ride. This can be useful for those individuals that do not need a vehicle every day, though this could become more expensive if the person uses a vehicle heavily throughout the week. Ubering or utilizing Lyft to provide transportation will further embed people into the instant, non-ownership culture. Determining how you use the vehicle will be required more within each individual’s situation to justify which type of use case best fits their needs. The large shift in moving to Mobility as a Service (MaaS) is being accelerated by the proliferation of self-driving vehicles.  

Profiting from Vehicle Ownership
Elon Musk and Tesla have pushed their Full Self Driving (FSD) as a way for an owner of a Tesla to eventually make money with the vehicle when they are not using it themselves. Similar to Vrbo or Airbnb, the ability to rent your vehicle will eventually help the owner to recoup some of their costs owning a vehicle. Along with utilizing less vehicles on the roadway, it will decrease congestion within major cities as the self-driving modes will optimize routes and decrease pollution. Instead of operating multiple vehicles for 1-2 people in a location, that one vehicle can help shuttle people to minimize the need for multiple vehicles in a small vicinity. This is similar to current cab hailing services, though one of the major issues with any conventional taxi service is the cost of labor to maintain the system; with self-driving vehicles, the major cost of taxi services is eliminated. The increased costs will be passed onto the repair field to make sure these vehicles are in operational condition. The technician will trend more into the programming/cybersecurity field. As 5G and 6G increases across all modalities, security and blockchain will be increasingly an area for development for all manufacturers. Making sure the vehicle that is driving itself is secure is one of the major requirements of every OEM, regardless of orientation.   

Looking Ahead
As MaaS continues to evolve, accessibility to the wider audience continues to provide access to those that have primarily been left behind when it comes to access to transportation. The elderly, disabled, and those that are not native speakers have not been accommodated in a dispersed, complicated automotive environment. Currently, people have the freedom to select the way they traverse the roadway; this situation would provide them with more options. Along with more options for the consumer, the autonomous operation of these types of vehicles will increase the safety on the road with less possibility of a collision as the connected vehicle can anticipate what the other vehicles are doing in its vicinity. This technology is a foundational piece of the smart cities’ evolution throughout the major metro areas. Having a vehicle that can communicate with stop lights, other vehicles and major infrastructure pieces will decrease congestion and increase consumer satisfaction of vehicle operation. Changing the psychological mannerisms of the driver to go from ownership to usership will be a long-term evolution to a new way of operation.   

Of course, with a driverless vehicle coming to fruition, regulatory issues will arise when a collision event does occur. Who is at fault when a vehicle, with no driver, hits a pedestrian or another vehicle? Is the OEM at fault? Is the owner at fault? These issues will have to be resolved before the mass adoption of driverless vehicles progresses. Without clarity of who is ultimately responsible, the mass adoption of these vehicles will continue to wait until that decision is made. As these issues come into focus, the general public will increasingly be willing to utilize this technology and eventually make the decision to rely on this system instead of the traditional lease or ownership model that is in current practice.   

Conclusion
Shared mobility with self-driving vehicles represents a transformative shift in the transportation industry. The combination of these technologies promises numerous benefits, including reduced traffic congestion, cost savings, environmental impact, accessibility, and safety. While there are challenges to overcome, the future of shared mobility with self-driving vehicles is bright, offering exciting possibilities for a more efficient, sustainable, and convenient transportation system. As we move forward, it is essential to address the regulatory, infrastructure, and public acceptance issues to unlock the full potential of this revolutionary technology. The journey towards a shared mobility future with self-driving vehicles has just begun, and the road ahead is filled with endless opportunities for innovation and progress.   

The MAST series of CDX provides the instructor pointed material to exceed the requirements of any ASE training currently on the market. Utilizing the Read-See-Do model throughout the series, the student has various learning modalities present throughout the products which allows them to pick the way they learn the best. From developing simulations on cutting edge topics to providing a depth of automotive technical background, CDX has a commitment to making sure instructors and students have the relevant training material to further hone their skill sets within the mechanical, electrical and software driven repair industry. CDX Learning Systems offers a growing library of automotive content that brings highly technical content to the classroom to keep you and your students up to date on what is currently happening within the Mobility Industry. Check out our Light Duty Hybrid and Electric Vehicles, along with our complete catalog Here. 

References
Department of Economic and Social Affairs. (2024). 68% of the world population is projected to live in urban areas by 2050, says UN. United Nations. https://www.un.org/uk/desa/68-world-population-projected-live-urban-areas-2050-says-un 

Houser, K. (2018, October 25). Your autonomous car won’t do you any good sitting in the garage. The Byte. https://futurism.com/the-byte/ride-hailing-tesla-elon-musk 

Mouratidis, K. (2022). Bike-sharing, car-sharing, e-scooters, and Uber: Who are the shared mobility users and where do they live? Sustainable Cities and Society, 86. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scs.2022.104161 

Paulus, N. (2024, November 1). Average Cost of Owning a Car. MoneyGeek. https://www.moneygeek.com/living/driving/costs-of-car-ownership/ 

Wright, J. (2024, July 7). This is the worst we’ve seen: Why sales of new cars are crumbling. Yahoo Finance. https://finance.yahoo.com/news/why-drivers-no-longer-buying-060000705.html 

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About the Author
Nicholas Goodnight, PhD is an ASE Master Certified Automotive and Truck Technician and an Instructor at Ivy Tech Community College. With nearly 20 years of industry experience, he brings his passion and expertise to teaching college students the workplace skills they need on the job. For the last several years, Dr. Goodnight has taught in his local community of Fort Wayne and enjoys helping others succeed in their desire to become automotive technicians. He is also the author of many CDX Learning Systems textbooks, including Light Duty Hybrid and Electric Vehicles (2023), Automotive Engine Performance (2020), Automotive Braking Systems (20219), and Automotive Engine Repair (2018).