The question keeps coming up as to whether there are still private cars with autonomous driving or not?
The question of private cars initially has two components. On the one hand, it is a question of economics and environmental compatibility, because the private car is a driver of CO2 emissions and a factor in the quality of life. Especially in the cities, the private car is seen increasingly reluctantly. It mostly sits around – either at home or at work – and drives maybe an hour a day. This is convenient and a quality of life issue for vehicle owners, but a congestion and parking problem for the general public.
On the other hand, there is a question of the automation of the vehicles. Because an autonomous car will probably be more expensive than a conventional car. This is less due to autonomous driving than to the large number of sensors that are required for autonomous driving. First and foremost is the lidar to name, which creates a 3D image of the environment. This is the most important sensor for many industry participants. Others, especially here is Tesla to mention, rely more on software and cameras. The cheap cameras should also be able to provide 3D capability, which the software is supposed to do. This is accompanied by the costs for the repair, because the sensors have to be calibrated after installation – similar to the tire pressure monitoring device. Even ordinary dirt can cause a sensor to fail.
When it comes to costs, the question arises as to how sensible it is to purchase a private car? But what is the alternative? The ecological alternative would be public transport and that too will be automated in the future. Because automation saves costs and is effective. No travelers or only a few teleoperators and therefore no salary, no vacation, no illness and the like. Teleoperators can use remote control to monitor several vehicles at the same time and, if necessary, navigate out of a jam.
The solution could be shared cars – car sharing. But there have been studies that have shown that Uber and Lyft increased traffic. Another solution could be the subscription model, which is already enjoying some popularity and exists already comparisons for car subscriptions. A car subscription is also conceivable for autonomous driving. The car would even hit you if you subscribed to it. Whether it always has to be the same is another matter.
The most likely mode of autonomous driving already exists: robotic taxis. Vehicles that are constantly on the move and drive so efficiently. The wear and tear is much higher, but the vehicles are constantly being updated and the technology will probably continue to develop in the future, so that replacing the vehicles more frequently can make sense. When it comes to e-cars, so is the carbon footprint better.