to mobility . It is also possible that autonomous cars will take over the other aspects of vehicle ownership , such as charging , maximising regenerative braking capabilities , and maintenance requirements . Dorr likens the incentives of A-EVs to those of smartphones .
The way Dorr feels technology could help industries and workforces to succeed is by breaking down economic barriers and further raising the bar of limitations . “ In a world with little demand for human labour , we also remove the key limit to economic productivity , paving the way for untold prosperity .
“ Of course , we will need to fundamentally rethink our economy , and perhaps relinquish the belief that every person must ‘ earn their keep ’ through toil .”
Automated EVs allow climate prosperity ; they decarbonise As the industry awaits a shift in the workforce , a undeniably positive effect of A-EV adoption is decarbonisation ; a much-needed advantage brought on by autonomous vehicles — among other initiatives .
While it is understandable that drivers would be sceptical about using self-driving cars , computers are much more efficient than humans . RethinkX predicts the number of vehicles on the road is set to decline as autonomy enables a much leaner approach
“ A consumer only needs to use a smartphone once to know if they like it . An A-EV is a smartphone on wheels . Get bums in seats and people will know , on the first ride , if they like the service ,’ says Dorr .
On the business side , there are a few factors involved in deploying A-EVs for the most sustainable outcomes :
• Policy - Besides the legal aspects of selfdriving cars — effectively putting lives in the hands of computers — policy could dictate energy sourcing requirements and minimum sustainability benefits to warrant the deployment of autonomous vehicles .
• Cost - While autonomy provides many potential benefits for e-mobility , the cost of EVs are yet to reach parity , let alone the selfdriving technology for cars . While battery prices are expected to fall , this is the priority for the industry as it looks to decarbonise .
• Sentiment shift - Driving is an age-old form of mobility and while the pros of self-driving cars may be apparent , adoption requires a sentiment shift to both electrified vehicles and hands-free driving .
71 [ Dec 2022 ] EVMAGAZINE . COM