Shared Ride Roundup

Love this: Artist renderings that are much closer to my imaginings of rethinking vehicle design for AVs than we are seeing from the auto companies. Definitely take a look at those! Image #6 is my personal favorite. Images posted here are all from those renderings.

Shared ride options for all getting closer

GM in California - more than doubles fleet of Cruise Automation vehicles. Now at 100 AVs.

Lyft partnerships with car companies to open up AV ridesourcing services.

Waymo full-scale AV ridesourcing operations to start in Phoenix area by early 2018.

AV ridesourcing for affluent older adults happening now in California. Voyage, a startup, is using Ford cars, to do just that in a gated senior community. Lots of opportunities in this market. More on the Voyage pilot.

Public shared-ride AV pilots

Publicly-funded A-Taxi, an AV shuttle ridesourcing pilot, is being planned for Greenville, SC (isn't that a state that does not believe in taxes?) with FHWA funds. The intent is to use these shuttles for commuter transportation for "to improve access to transportation for disadvantaged and mobility-impaired residents." That's why the public dollars. How progressive for South Carolina. Impressive. [Image source: muxxi]

Another publicly-funded experiment with AV shared-ride service will take place in Britain in Greenwich, with Ford and Transport for London (TfL) among a broader partnership. However, this project will only be planning a business model, with the assumption being that one-third of London trips in 2025 will be by AV.

Stuff you can do, but maybe shouldn't, in an AV - if allowed

If you own your AV, you will have more leeway, but if you are a shared-use or transit AV person in the future, I imagine rules against:

• Drinking too much alcohol - or any - while on board
• Being obnoxiously drunk on a shared vehicle
• Sex or even making out (tacky, though fun at the time)
• Eating
• Drinking anything but water (our rule in the station wagon when the kids were young)
• Vomiting - try not to and use a bag
• Watching or listening to anything without earphones or earbuds
• Screaming
• Singing, unless there is a 0-5 year old involved (in which case, I recommend singing Wheels on the Bus)

Stuff that should be allowed to roll right onto AVs when they are universally designed

• Wheelchairs and other mobility devices
• Strollers, even double ones
• Personal shopping carts
• Luggage

I make this list with the assumption that only the wealthy will have personal attendants and that the rest of us will be in the same sorry position we are in as airline passengers, forced to deal with and lift heavy items instead of receiving personal service. [Image source: Ustwo]

Personal dream

AV tiny house to cruise across the country in style. 💚