What did you rate your last Uber driver? If it was a good review, save it and wish him or her well, because your next Uber ride may drive itself. That’s right – self-driving cars may soon enter the Uber fleet. A few happenings over the past few years and in recent times have shown that the ride-sharing giant is heading towards a driverless revolution. Of course, it remains to be seen when and how this will unfold. AutoLoans.ca has created an infographic which looks closer into the possibility of a driverless Uber fleet, and what it will mean for the company.
As we speak the minds behind Uber are conducting the first pilot tests of these driverless vehicles. Yes there have been a few bumps mainly in San Francisco and Tempe, two of the cities in the U.S. where these tests have been conducted. On the other hand, in Pittsburg, the third and final city where these pilot tests were conducted, we are yet to hear of any incidents. Regardless of how you look at this information, the perspective such technology could offer is beyond comprehension. It is on the other hand a potential problem for those that use Uber as a source of finance rather than a source of transportation. Adopting such technology on a large scale would basically mean Uber would be forced to dispose of probably most of the ongoing partnerships with drivers around the world.
Another problem worth nothing regards competition. Google has also made significant steps towards a driverless ride system. Will Uber manage to stay ahead of the game or will Google make sure to establish a better position in front of its competition. Another problem Uber would have to face is the drop in car sales should it manage to implement the driverless system. Provided it will be efficient, more people will prefer to use the offered service while leaving their personal car behind. The reasons are multiple. One of the most important reasons is finding a parking space. With Uber this problem is solved because it’s up to the driverless car to find a suitable parking place after it drops off all passengers.
Of course such hypothesis at this point is farfetched. In the end all presented information is a prediction of what our world would look like if Uber would manage to fully implement its driverless system. No matter how you look at it, Uber’s plans are bold. They will require, without a doubt, a lot of patience and planning. The main three problems are as it was already outlined: the potential firings that will happen once Uber will not need drivers anymore, Google’s fierce competition in the driverless system area and the possible dangers it will pose in the automotive sales industry. These are not problems that could find a solution easily. Nevertheless, Uber may find, in the end, a way around these obstacles to the extent that it’s service will become something normal for all people around the world.
Infographic Created by AutoLoans.ca:
