3 ms·

> might change to subscription service model vs. outright buying a car This is what I mean. Car ownership will be a hold-over from folks who still own a car fr

by flaque 7y ago

> might change to subscription service model vs. outright buying a car This is what I mean. Car ownership will be a hold-over from folks who still own a car from a long while ago. Most people will just subscribe to a subscription rideshare service.

snapetom 7y ago
I'm skeptical about this. This past year we've seen two major car sharing services take a huge hit. ReachNow was suddenly shut down and Car2Go pulled out of the US. If you end up being right, the car sharing companies will have to go back to the drawing board to create a new business model.
- flaque 7y ago
  > the car sharing companies will have to go back to the drawing board to create a new business model. I'll bet on this. Either self-driving cars dramatically lowers the cost of operations. Or startups like Nomad Rides change the business model entirely. Micro-mobility via scooters / bikes might also be a valid reason here. But the consumer desire for ride-share is there and it's unlikely to go anywhere.
  - read_if_gay_ 7y ago
    > Micro-mobility via scooters / bikes might also be a valid reason here. I think this is the winner for dense cities with mild winters. During rush hour in many cities you're about as fast walking as you are driving. People barely walk though and cycling requires physical effort which makes it inconvenient enough for many people to prefer cars. Scooters fix these problems and get you there really fast, except they suck in winter, except again in a few years winters may not be that bad anymore. The only (practical, non-luxury) reason you might want a car then is transporting a lot of stuff. For those few situations, carsharing might be an acceptable solution.
tonyedgecombe 7y ago
It's not far from that now, at least in the UK I think 80% of people get their cars on some kind of personal contract plan.

3 ms·

> might change to subscription service model vs. outright buying a car This is what I mean. Car ownership will be a hold-over from folks who still own a car fr

by flaque 7y ago

snapetom 7y ago
I'm skeptical about this. This past year we've seen two major car sharing services take a huge hit. ReachNow was suddenly shut down and Car2Go pulled out of the US. If you end up being right, the car sharing companies will have to go back to the drawing board to create a new business model.
- flaque 7y ago
  > the car sharing companies will have to go back to the drawing board to create a new business model. I'll bet on this. Either self-driving cars dramatically lowers the cost of operations. Or startups like Nomad Rides change the business model entirely. Micro-mobility via scooters / bikes might also be a valid reason here. But the consumer desire for ride-share is there and it's unlikely to go anywhere.
  - read_if_gay_ 7y ago
    > Micro-mobility via scooters / bikes might also be a valid reason here. I think this is the winner for dense cities with mild winters. During rush hour in many cities you're about as fast walking as you are driving. People barely walk though and cycling requires physical effort which makes it inconvenient enough for many people to prefer cars. Scooters fix these problems and get you there really fast, except they suck in winter, except again in a few years winters may not be that bad anymore. The only (practical, non-luxury) reason you might want a car then is transporting a lot of stuff. For those few situations, carsharing might be an acceptable solution.
tonyedgecombe 7y ago
It's not far from that now, at least in the UK I think 80% of people get their cars on some kind of personal contract plan.