For decades, autonomous and electric vehicles felt like distant ideas but here in 2022, the future is now our present. The federal government gave the green light to production of fully autonomous cars. Are Americans willing to adapt to this change and embrace non-traditional adjustments to the industry? It took us a while to get comfortable with EVs, but with gas prices rising each day, maybe folks are willing to change with technology this time instead of playing catch up years later.
Autonomous Cars Coming Soon
Federal safety regulators have finally Ok-ed autonomous vehicles’ mass manufacturing and distribution. These cars would not have controls such as pedals and steering wheels. Previously, cars with autonomous features, or completely self-driving, were still required to have manual parts.
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The amount of fully autonomous vehicles operating today is a small number. Despite dropping manual requirements, the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration promises its “mission will be to ensure safety standards keep pace with the development of automated driving and driver assistance systems,” said Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg. Driverless cars are not exempt from the pre-existing occupant protection and safety rules. The federal, state, and local governments are expected to establish their own regulations regarding driverless vehicles’ launch, implementation, and operation. However, Americans could see these cars beside them on the highway in as soon as a year. General Motors plans to have their self-driving Cruise Origin produced and deployed in early 2023. But the international chip shortage could hinder plans made by over 30 companies aiming to get into the autonomous game.
Making Adjustments
Although a self-driving car could be available in 18 months, will Americans buy them? When Tesla began paving the way for electric vehicles, people were hesitant for numerous reasons. The company had hiccups with software issues and cars catching on fire in the early days, but fast forward to 2022, and electric vehicles are in high demand.
An EV was non-traditional but not as non-traditional as a car that drives itself. Passengers are not putting their lives in the hands of another human with a car’s software and safety measures. You will have to trust a computer altogether. Every car will be its own computer, programmed and monitored by its company, but there is no room for faulty algorithms or errors in the code or safety software.
This green light allows us to take the next few steps, but many more red and yellow lights are ahead. There is no guarantee these cars will be accepted and embraced by American society immediately or down the line.
Creating a New Normal
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Referencing the auto industry’s future, some experts claim cars are becoming no different from phones, smart refrigerators, a google home, or other Internet-of-things devices. The traditional automotive business model demonstrated that consumers bought a new vehicle every seven years or so when a new, fancier, more attractive model with cool features was released. However, economic experts claim the applicability of that model is fading out.
With cars heavily reliant on software, Americans won’t need to trade in their 2020 for a 2025 version of the same vehicle. The baseline hardware of the car can be regularly updated with new functions and features without forcing the owner to purchase an entirely new car. The software can be updated anytime to make a 2024 Hyundai Telluride a 2025 Hyundai Telluride.
Sure, many people buy the new iPhone when it comes out, but the average American won’t until they need to. The only notable difference between the iPhone 12 and 13 is a camera lens for a regular person. Your iPhone 12 can still get the same update and run on the same software as 13. Experts claim we will see the same with cars.
Auto companies can evolve the software underlying hardware pieces to perform new tasks that weren’t available when that car was released. For example, highway autopilot software could be uploaded into the system in your vehicle with a one-time purchase. Software updates could also bring you automatic high-beam headlights that turn off once traffic is detected. The opportunities are endless for these companies to make money off updates and subscriptions and for Americans to stick with their cars and abandon the idea that they are due for a new, updated vehicle.
Wake-Up Call
Electric vehicle owners aren’t sweating gas prices while the rest of us reluctantly fill up our tanks. If costs continue to trend upwards, this may be the motivation Americans need to buy electric. In conjunction with outrageous valuations for new and used vehicles, we could see the already rising demand for EVs jump.
Without a doubt, the auto industry is changing. But, the rate at which we Americans abandon our traditional ideals regarding gas vs. electric, autonomous vs. driving, or updating your car vs. buying a new one is still unclear. There are many pros to these changes, but reservations could hold us back. You could be on your 45-minute commute to work on your laptop, watching TV, or enjoying your breakfast while your car drives itself. However, accepting these wild ideas as our new form of reality will be the biggest challenge in implementing these changes into our society.
~ Read more from Keelin Ferris.
