Quote:
Originally Posted by David70
I agree with most of what you wrote except I see self driving technology being less of a reason for many to drive cars and instead move toward crossovers. I find the car more fun to drive and perform better (same price point and engine). Assuming the self driving car will drive like my grandmother I see less of a reason to care about how it performs and adequate acceleration and handling will be all the car will ever actually do.
Gas prices will hurt crossovers some but the true dollar amount won't significantly change what the BMW buyer pays.
The difference in fuel costs between a X3 sDrive 28i and a 328i XDrive is about $100 a year. Gas doubles and this goes to $200 a year and 5 years of ownership cost an extra $1000 in gas.
http://www.fueleconomy.gov/feg/Find....36139&id=36650
Or the Cadillac XT5 and the ATS both with the same V-6 and the difference today is $100 a year. http://www.fueleconomy.gov/feg/Find....37271&id=37766 |
Great point about the (possibly) coming self-driving vehicle. It's certainly possible they'll trend bigger. I feel, however, that many who will have them won't see them as transportation for several; they'll see them as transportation for a few. What will be fascinating for a twisted soul like myself will be how much trust passengers other than the owner/operator will have in such a system. Will a mother trust it enough to ferry her kids around in it, for instance? That kind of question will make or break the technology in the eyes of the mass consumer, among others.
Efficiency and operating cost is as much about perception as actuality. That said, it's not like the average American will be driving a Chevy Bolt in a generation. Our vehicles will still be bigger than what those in most other countries drive. And therein lies the conundrum: America is not the global consumer trendsetter it once was, in the auto industry and otherwise. That trend will continue, too.