7. The Autonomous Car, a Disruptive Business Model?

There is a need to reflect on the autonomous vehicle, a newly emerging type of vehicle, from a historical perspective in terms of the automotive industry as a whole. Rapid and robust technological evolution has made it a tangible concept—taking it from the realm of fiction, into reality. But that’s not all. The combined awareness of energy issues and extreme pollution within cities have also participated towards this emergence. Regulations have imposed a de facto restriction of vehicles in cities and the relationship between the user and the vehicle have changed and will continue to change. In major urban centers, the concept of ownership of the vehicle replaces its use. As the relationship to everyday objects turned into customary contract—with the mobile phone, the laptop computer, the idea of becoming a single user of a means of transport is highly seductive; especially in view of the explosion of new transportation choices and the emergence of new business models. Desiring to extend their influence to new clienteles, traditional manufacturers are preparing for the future by investing heavily in the autonomous vehicle. In the US, several states have already authorized the use of vehicles without drivers, as have circuits in Europe. With onboard communications technology, the “smart” car becomes the vehicle of the future, allowing vehicles to communicate and paves the way for a radically new relationship between the user and the mobile object on wheels. Unquestionably, this revolution in mobility poses questions. Future users find themselves ready to adopt this new way of mobility while obstacles both regulatory and technological and social remain. Can manufacturers compete with their new competitors (Google, Tesla, Uber) desperate to meet the challenge of the driverless vehicle and impose new business model?