Daily coverage of the world of cars.
If you look at movies made in the ’60s, ’70s, and ’80s, the future was full of cars — albeit very technologically advanced ones. Movies like “Back to the Future” had us dreaming of flying cars with time-traveling capabilities. But at the time, many of these technologies were stuck in the realm of imagination. What about now? Are these cars real or still destined for the future? Continue reading >>>
The way we drive in cities can’t be sustained during the years to come.
As our population grows, so do the number of vehicles in our large metropolitan areas. In 2012, over 76 percent of vehicles in the United States were occupied by one person during the average commute. There were 256 million vehicles registered in the United States in 2013, which explains the massive congestion encountered in cities across the country every day.
Although we can’t easily increase the capacity of our roads, ever more people will need access to American cities.
What’s the solution?
Well, for now, there isn’t one. But some prominent people think the end of the single-occupancy vehicle is in our future.
I used to think that the advent of self-driving cars would be the downfall of society. I thought they’d take away our freedoms and turn us into mindless commuters.
I imagined people inside their smart vehicles, each buried in his or her smartphone, while the cars silently flow through interstates and arterials like ants slowly marching toward their queen.
Orderly. Efficient. Conforming.
I’m not the kind of guy who likes to conform. I don’t want to be just one of a billion ants locked into a life of mindless existence, thus my resistance to autonomous vehicles and a future where individuals must fall into line.
I think I’m starting to get it, though. Here’s why.