We’re entering a brave new world of transportation with more options than ever, including driver-assist technology, self-driving vehicles, rentable bikes and scooters, urban tunnels and even flying taxis.
The reason I call this a “brave new world” is because a lot of courage, or perhaps I should say risk taking, is required from both consumers and the companies investing in new ways to get around.
One of the reasons for all this is a change in attitude among teens and young adults toward driving and owning cars. Like many of my generation, I got my driver’s license within a couple of days of my 16th birthday. I couldn’t wait to get behind the wheel of my dad’s 1960 Chevy. When I reached my senior year of college, I had enough money to buy a used Hillman Husky that I drove till it stopped working during a cross-country trip somewhere near Midland, Texas. The tow-truck driver took it off my hands in exchange for a ride to the airport and the $20 for the radio I had recently installed.
I know several people in their 20s and 30s who don’t own a car and have no interest in buying one. Public transportation, cycling, scooters and ride-hailing meet their needs, and in the rare instances when they want a set of wheels, they can rent one from a traditional rental company or a car-sharing service such as ZipCar or Maven.
I used to rent cars when I traveled but rarely do these days except when going to a city like Los Angeles where alternative means of transportation are either inefficient or too expensive. Now I use Uber or Lyft to get to my hotel and around town. It’s almost always cheaper and more relaxing then renting, parking and refueling a car. I also use bike-share services when available, and a few years ago, I discovered walking is often the most efficient way to get around cities like New York and Washington, D.C., where most places I need to go are within about a half an hour away by foot.
These changes aren’t lost on the automobile industry. Ford, which now calls itself a “mobility company” operates fleets of bicycles and is working on other projects, including car sharing. General Motors has invested in Lyft, and Toyota has invested $1 billion in Asia’s largest ride-sharing company, according to Forbes.
Self-driving car services are no longer futuristic. They’re here, albeit still with “safety drivers” as companies such as Uber, Lyft and Waymo work out the kinks. When using Lyft to get a ride in Las Vegas earlier this month, I was invited to sign up for self-driving cars for future rides.
There were several companies at CES showing infotainment systems for passengers who will soon be able to focus on something other than the road. Nuance, the company that makes voice-recognition software, showed off a prototype car where passengers or the driver could use their voice to control various aspects of the experience. There was even eye-tracking technology that enables a passenger or driver to look at a store or restaurant you’re driving by and use your voice to find out its hours or ratings.
But the most interesting vehicle I saw at CES was a joint venture between the helicopter maker Bell and Uber called Uber Elevate. The two companies are collaborating on what may someday be a fleet of electric vertical take-off and landing vehicles (VTOLs) to operate in urban environments. The prototype they showed at CES looks like it could fly, but it’s just a model, which is a good thing since there was no opening in the roof of the convention center to allow it to take off. I did, however get to look inside and speak to a Bell engineer who told me that they hope to have it operational by 2023 with a range of about 150 miles at a top speed of about 180 miles per hour. The helicopter-like vehicle could accommodate four passengers at a price that I’m sure few of us would be willing to pay on a routine basis. Still, given the congestion in the Bay Area and other major urban areas, it is tempting. It will initially require a human pilot, but Bell hopes that it will eventually fly itself.
Boeing is also working on an autonomous air taxi, which “it flew for the first time on Tuesday in Manassas, Virginia,” according to the Wall Street Journal.The Journal said that the flight lasted for “under a minute.” The Wright Brothers’ first flight lasted 59 seconds.
Elon Musk who wants to shuttle people into space with his SpaceX company and eventually drive them around in self-driving Teslas, is also working on an underground solution to urban gridlock. The Boring Company, which Musk founded, wants to develop “A large network of tunnels many levels deep,” that “would help alleviate congestion in any city, no matter how large it grew (just keep adding levels). It’s a seemingly crazy idea, but he has built a 1.14-mile test tunnel in Hawthorne.
Other than taking Caltrain or BART, I haven’t found a solution to gridlock, but I have found a partial solution to parking woes. I have a fold-up bike that fits nicely in the trunk of my car. Sometimes when I go to big events, I try to find free parking a mile or two away and bike to my destination. It saves me money and the aggravation of dealing with a parking lot, plus it burns a few calories along the way.