Soothing the Streets: London Motor Show Edition

Steve Rogerson reports from this year’s London Motor Show

At this year’s London Motor Show, the spotlight was on the growing influence of technology in cars, particularly the shift towards self-driving vehicles and the rise of car-sharing programs. Andreas Herrmann, a professor at the University of St Gallen in Switzerland, shared his insights on how these trends are shaping the future of transportation.

Herrmann emphasized that while there are currently around 1.2 billion cars on the road globally, they only operate for about 55 minutes daily, covering approximately 16 trillion kilometers each year. Moreover, as more people move to cities, car usage dynamics are set to change significantly. Back in 1950, only 30% of the world’s population lived in urban areas, but by 2050, that number is expected to jump to 70%.

“By 2025, we anticipate that 600 urban centers will house a fifth of the world’s population,” Herrmann noted. “In some cities, up to 30% of traffic is just people looking for parking spots, which can take around 20 minutes.”

Another pressing issue Herrmann highlighted is that human error accounts for about 94% of traffic accidents. He believes that autonomous vehicles could greatly reduce this number since machines tend to be more reliable.

“Los Angeles aims to eliminate road deaths by 2025, and other cities are considering similar goals,” he said.

Herrmann painted a picture of a better future with self-driving cars. These vehicles could reduce the space needed on roads, as they can travel more closely together. This would lead to improved fuel efficiency and smoother traffic flow, as the cars would communicate with one another.

“With autonomous cars, you get smoother acceleration and deceleration, which saves fuel,” he explained. “Plus, they take up less space, allowing for better infrastructure management and making more room for people in urban areas.”

He also pointed out the potential for significant social benefits, like saving on fuel and reducing traffic-related deaths, which could free up funds for infrastructure improvements.

While there are still skeptics of the technology, Herrmann is confident that over time, people will come to trust and appreciate it. He mentioned that self-driving cars could let passengers use their transit time for other activities, such as watching videos or working on presentations, making the time more productive.

“When the car is driving itself, you can turn the windows into screens for entertainment or work. This could free up around 400 billion hours for other activities, which is why tech giants like Google and Netflix are interested,” he added.

For those who enjoy driving, Herrmann acknowledged that while driving can be pleasurable, it’s often a hassle. “We want to remove the pain from driving and make it a more enjoyable experience,” he concluded.