Which business models in the field of autonomous driving are conceivable?
The technology of autonomous driving is not yet ready to hit the road. It will take years to reach level 4 and Level 5That fully self-driving car that works anytime, anywhere is still more at present Science fiction as reality.
Taxi stand
But the research expenditures for this are enormous and so, of course, business models are needed to bring the technology to market. Once the development of level 4 has been completed, the first vehicles will actually be marketed.
The simplest option would be to simply sell the cars. As we know it up to now, the only difference is that the car comes to me and I don’t have to pick it up. But the sales model has a flaw, because the vehicles will be quite expensive, at least in the beginning. The sensors in particular cost a lot of money. The lidar is probably the most important factor. A lidar currently costs in the four-digit range and several of them are needed.
Another strategy, recently also Tesla announced is that Subscription model. Because of the high costs, the purchase may not be worthwhile for many and so the manufacturers or providers could suggest a subscription model. If you use the technology, you have to pay for it. The autonomous skills are booked for the duration of the vacation or business trip.
The most commonly used strategy to commercialize technology has been to use it as a taxi. The robot taxi should get by without drivers and should wash money into the coffers in this way. The transport operator Uber relies on the technology to provide its profit to maximize.
But not all of them will become transport service providers, even if all manufacturers are currently transforming into mobility service providers. Because it probably won’t need that many transport service providers. Of course, niches such as luxury trips or long-haul journeys will develop, but the number of providers will thin out.
Therefore, some manufacturers are issuing licenses to use the technology. Operators can then equip their fleets with the technology or purchase the vehicles with the technology.
About David Fluhr
I have been writing about autonomous & connected driving since 2011 and report on it on other sites such as the Smart Mobility Hub. I studied social sciences at the HU Berlin and have been a freelance journalist since 2012. Contact: mail@autonomes-fahren.de