Bob Lutz Reiterates The End Of Human-Driven Cars, Calls It ‘Inevitable’
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Bob Lutz, who has held positions at Ford, General Motors and Chrysler, penned a lengthy piece predicting the demise of the automobile era. The piece focused on one thing: cars driven by humans will not last.
Lutz recently joined CNBC’s “Squawk On the Street” to reiterate his position, and he said it may not be in 20 years as he first predicted, but the end of human-driven cars is “inevitable.” Again, he pointed to the horse as a potential path for the automobile. The wealthy and enthusiasts may keep human-driven cars on country clubs and private tracks, but eventually, legislation will take cars off of public roads for good.
“From a standpoint of moving human beings around the surface of the planet safely and efficiently, let’s face it: [self-driving cars are] the only way to go. Human beings just can’t handle it anymore.”
He also said GM is one of the automakers that “gets it” and said the automaker is doing the right thing to position itself for the changes to come with Maven and its investment in Lyft.
Whether the change happens in 20 or 50 years remains to be seen.
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but then how would we drive anywhere
This will be an environmentally driven reality. Since most people drive very inefficiently i.e. with their head in their ass, the need to reduce carbon emissions will instigate necessary laws to remove the human driver from the transport equation. Operation of a personal transport vehicle will be by computer, so don’t invest in those expensive fancy driving shoes. You may still be able to personally own a personal transport module/vehicle, but you won’t be able to operate it. I wrote/commnted about this a few years ago in The truth About Cars.
Of course , this will only happen if we have enough time for near total inception of the driver-less regime to be employed. The rapidly deteriorating environment may nullify the viability of governing institutions and our abilities to transition to cleaner modes of transport, bringing on the End of Life As We Know It.
To prevent the near total end of driving and the end of a viable environment, we need to move as quickly as possible to near total EV transport, this may save driving for those who enjoy it. Like I noted several years ago and Bob says now, driving may only be for the rich and the enthusiast at private events and facillities and if their vehicle of choice is and ICE powered vehicle, there will likely be a very heavy carbon tax on fuel. $100.00 for a gallon of fuel wouldn’t surprise me.
We should be paying about $20-25.00 a gallon for fuel now. Current fuel pricing is causing great damage to our environment and even $20.00 a gallon fuel wouldn’t even begin to cover the true cost of the damage caused by carbon fuels to the environment and health of all the creatures on this planet.
I don’t believe in “necessary laws to remove the human driver from the transport equation”.
If a change comes, then because it provides more comfort for the human being to get from A to B, and is less costly not only for society, but for the individual, too.
Since the growth, transportation, and storage of food for human consumption is very high in carbon fuel use, who is going to be the first in line to offer to starve for the rest of mankind? Also, reality is that the climate has been in a constant state of change since the beginning.
One defiant word, one rallying cry, the last self operated mechanical conveyance, adherents screaming “I’ll quit riding when they pry the handlebar and throttle from my cold dead hands”: Motorcycle!
And riding one will be safer than ever.
He’s blowin’ smoke up our something or others.
I read the other day that a city out west (here in the US) was rolling out driverless taxis. Not just self-driving. but completely driverless. Other cities outside the US have done the same.
Honestly, I never thought the day would come, but the traffic near me is so bad at times that I would GLADLY let my car take over.
You think traffic is bad now wait until all this crap starts proliferating the roads. Your self driving car won’t even be able to leave the driveway.
Well when human beings become perfect and can develop technology that never breaks and has flawless code, the roads all become perfect, the satellites and GPS units all become perfect and in 100% sync with the roads and streets, laws and congress get everything straightened out and biggest of all you can convince people to lose yet another of their freedoms and pleasures I highly doubt we will see this in our lifetimes as a major thing. I thank god for that every day of the week too!