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Even if you're not a leftist you can see there would be a much higher efficiency of people only having a car when needed. You only have to look at driveways an

by mpg33 10y ago

Even if you're not a leftist you can see there would be a much higher efficiency of people only having a car when needed. You only have to look at driveways and parking lots to see how inefficient car use is currently.

Someone 10y ago
You only have to look inside those cars to see how that will not happen for those who can afford self-driving cars (most people, if the utopian predictions hold true). Most cars are extensions of one's home and are used to store all kinds of stuff (kid's seats, sunglasses, umbrellas, charging cables, tents in the back trunk, etc.) On top of that, for many, cars are an extension of their ego (vanity plates, custom wheels, extra lights, etc). I doubt people will want to give that up, if they can afford it. And unless we are talking car sharing, I don't see the efficiency of car use go up. If you drive an hour to work, and somebody else wants to make a similar trip, chances are there will be two hours between those trips, as most people live and few people work in the suburbs. Also, a car making two trips into town each day will make at least 3 round trips, whereas now, two cars each make one. Yes, there may be gains in building fewer 'second cars', and the number of accidents should go down, but total mileage won't go down, so wear and tear will not go down, so we still will have to build about the same number of cars. Conclusion: much higher efficiency? I don't see that happen.
- VLM 10y ago
  Something missed in the geography of driveways and parking lots is roads. If magic cars are more expensive they'll fail and people will buy regular cars. But if magic cars are cheaper then people will have more money to do stuff equals somewhat more traveling, AND traveling will be cheaper so they'll be more likely to do it. Why eat bologna sandwich at home with a car you own, if its cheaper to take the family out to eat steak at a county park a couple miles away in someone elses magic car? Hey I sold my personal car and use magic car now, so I've got money to pay for a dentist AND instead of staying home I will have magic car drive me to the dentist... We might need less driveways but the road are going to get a lot more congested... Also we're going to burn a lot more gas and need more gas stations, more service stations, more car culture in general. Just not privately owned car culture.

by mpg33 10y ago

Someone 10y ago

You only have to look inside those cars to see how that will not happen for those who can afford self-driving cars (most people, if the utopian predictions hold true). Most cars are extensions of one's home and are used to store all kinds of stuff (kid's seats, sunglasses, umbrellas, charging cables, tents in the back trunk, etc.) On top of that, for many, cars are an extension of their ego (vanity plates, custom wheels, extra lights, etc). I doubt people will want to give that up, if they can afford it. And unless we are talking car sharing, I don't see the efficiency of car use go up. If you drive an hour to work, and somebody else wants to make a similar trip, chances are there will be two hours between those trips, as most people live and few people work in the suburbs. Also, a car making two trips into town each day will make at least 3 round trips, whereas now, two cars each make one. Yes, there may be gains in building fewer 'second cars', and the number of accidents should go down, but total mileage won't go down, so wear and tear will not go down, so we still will have to build about the same number of cars. Conclusion: much higher efficiency? I don't see that happen.

VLM 10y ago
Something missed in the geography of driveways and parking lots is roads. If magic cars are more expensive they'll fail and people will buy regular cars. But if magic cars are cheaper then people will have more money to do stuff equals somewhat more traveling, AND traveling will be cheaper so they'll be more likely to do it. Why eat bologna sandwich at home with a car you own, if its cheaper to take the family out to eat steak at a county park a couple miles away in someone elses magic car? Hey I sold my personal car and use magic car now, so I've got money to pay for a dentist AND instead of staying home I will have magic car drive me to the dentist... We might need less driveways but the road are going to get a lot more congested... Also we're going to burn a lot more gas and need more gas stations, more service stations, more car culture in general. Just not privately owned car culture.