In San Diego Car2Go has become very popular in the last couple of years. The other company offering similar service is Zipcar. In both cases the underlying premise is that you can use a car on as needed basis, which if you live in a city, seems like the perfect way to leave the city without having to buy a car.
For me, the obvious evolution of this concept would be if I could be able to have access to different cars for different uses. I may want to own a small car for getting around, but select a car as a service to get a mini-van or a SUV for when the kids come home and we want to all go to Disneyland, or get a small truck for that trip to Home Depot, and then get a luxury vehicle for when we want to attend the Opera that one time a year!
Today’s younger generation, like my son who is 22, aren’t that interested in car ownership. They see the ever increasing gas prices, and insurance costs on top of what a new or slightly used car costs, and it’s a turn off for them. They no longer see having a car as a status symbol. They live in the digital world, and expect things to be available on demand and on as needed bases. For them the idea of Internet of Cars is obvious. That’s probably why Zipcar grew mostly on college campuses.
With all the recent telematics developments and the idea of the Internet of things and the connected cars, the use based insurance and Google’s self driving car in addition to the Car2Go and Zipcar, I think we are closer to the realization that car individual ownership may be a thing of the past.
But then what? What will that mean to the auto insurance industry and car manufacturers who today depend on you having more than one car per family? And who will they sell cars to? Will Verizon Wireless and Sprint be selling you the next telecommunication device which will drive itself to your home and all you have to worry is your one data plan?
I, for one can’t wait!
http://www.wired.com/opinion/2013/01/forget-the-internet-of-things-here-comes-the-internet-of-cars/
Magda Remillard 