I’m excited to see that electrical automobiles are getting increasingly more consideration recently. President-Elect Biden is making them a political precedence (hyperlink right here), they proceed to be an space of strategic focus for automakers (see examples right here and right here), and state coverage makers are turning their consideration to them as effectively (see right here). Seemingly, we’re going to see a significant uptick in electrical automobile manufacturing, gross sales and utilization, for each particular person and business markets.

I’d wish to imagine {that a} important enhance in electrical automobile curiosity and adoption is because of a rising acknowledgement of local weather change and the injury we’re inflicting on the environment day-after-day. Large climate occasions, poor air high quality, and unpredictable temperature swings have created a way of urgency for coverage makers, companies, and most people to shift away from fossil fuels.

So what does this imply for autonomous automobiles?  We all know that shared driverless automobiles have the potential to profit the setting as effectively – by means of decreased congestion and extra environment friendly driving routes.  I’m questioning if this impetus or one other comparable set off – like site visitors security – will trigger the same shift in give attention to driverless automobiles. What’s going to it take to get the general public and policymakers on board?

• Possibly our post-Coronavirus world can be so car-focused and have a lot congestion that shared driverless automobiles will change into a giant precedence? I want that was the case, however I’d be stunned…
• Possibly street security will obtain heightened consideration as a result of better utilization of bikes and scooters inflicting extra security incidents?  I additionally want that was the case, however I’d be equally stunned…
• Possibly our post-Coronavirus world will scale back and even get rid of conventional in-person procuring, which is able to considerably enhance the world’s bundle supply necessities? I believe we might have discovered our set off!

As grocery shops, retail shops, and pharmacies see much less and fewer foot site visitors, our supply automobiles have gotten busier and busier. Decreasing the labor prices and congestion related to these supply automobiles will possible be an enormous “driver” (pun meant!) for change. I’m hopeful that items motion necessities will enable us to see the technological advances and supportive coverage modifications that can advance the driverless expertise in the identical means that the electrical automobile expertise is being accelerated in the present day.

Another triggers I’m not pondering of?