Autonomous vehicle (AV) developer Cruise unveiled Origin, an all-electric driverless car concept that illustrates the company’s vision for consumer behavior in driverless cars. The vehicle spurns the driver’s seat in favor of an airy, symmetrical cabin featuring small displays mounted above two sets of opposing seats.
While a car without driver controls would not yet be street legal in the US, Cruise CEO Dan Ammann called Origin a “fully engineered vehicle that’s on its way to production.” Favorable market positioning could help Cruise achieve this goal: General Motors owns the majority of the company, and Honda has committed billions for a 5.7% stake.
Furthermore, it is widely considered one of the most advanced AV companies, having completed over 1 million test miles in San Francisco and reached a valuation around $19 billion in 2019, according to The Wall Street Journal.
Cruise designed Origin around its vision of the AV rider experience, which promises to act as an extension of the connectivity ecosystem. US drivers spend an average of 8 hours per week in their vehicles. AVs promise to free up this time for would-be drivers to engage in other activities.
Several companies have designed novel entertainment offerings specifically suited for AVs, but most consumers just want to do the activities they would normally in their free time: Calling, texting, emailing, reading, watching video, and sleeping were the top activities consumers desired in an AV, according to a 2019 Deloitte survey of global consumers.
Accordingly, Origin features a minimalist, low-tech interior. The Origin design doesn’t push a tech-laden experience on AV riders, and instead gives consumers the space to consume tech on their own terms.
Connectivity will still be integral to the AV experience, even in a “low-tech” interior concept. Though calling, texting, and emailing may be relatively low-tech, the rider experience will still benefit from a fast, consistent internet connection. Network operators should collaborate with AV developers to establish a shared vision for the rider experience that works on riders’ terms.
This could mean, for instance, adding media integration so a rider could start a show on their home network and resume where they left off in the car. Alternatively, just as Verizon offers the Stadia video game streaming service with its at-home fiber subscriptions, it could extend the offering to vehicles with an AV partnership.
And in-car connectivity subscriptions could be extended to AV ride-hailing services, ensuring consistent connections for subscribers. Though the commercialization timeline for AVs still remains unclear, these partnerships will help network operators meet and anticipate the needs of future consumers.
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