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Yeah man, people LOVE sitting in 2 hours of traffic to drive 25 miles to work.
It's an interesting concept, but a horribly impractical product. People buy cars to drive them.
Yeah man, people LOVE sitting in 2 hours of traffic to drive 25 miles to work.
There's always public transportation for people that hate cars.
What the ? On what planet do you live that public transportation goes everywhere, not to mention in a modest amount of time?
Do you really think someone spends $25,000+, the most expensive purchase of their life other than a house/condo, on a product for nothing more than enjoyment? People buy cars to go from A to B, and a FEW people buy cars because they like the driving experience. The number of people who buy a Prius/economy car because they love the feel of driving it is infinitesimal. The best selling cars are not performance machines, and they are not being purchased to instill a thrill of the road into the person. Mustangs, Camaros? Sure. But those cars don't sell nearly as well as the plethora of economic cars that are designed to get good MPG as a primary purpose for transportation.
Dude, I live 5 miles from work and so it takes me very little time to get to work, but if I lived further away, think of the reading I could get done. Added productivity. Then there are some people who drive from san antonio to dallas while conducting business, etc. Sure, sometimes you want to get out there and drive, but most of the time it's just a mind numbing monotonous task.
Oh come on, this is a blast!
The Google driverless Harley is going to be bad ass.
so why isn't everyone carpooling/taking the bus/commuteride/etc.?
I used to live on Jones maltsberger and thousand oaks and worked on Fredericksburg and prue. Using public transportation, I had to leave my house at 5:30 to get to work (running from the bus stop) by 8am. I bought a cimmaron for 300 bucks and I was able to leave my house at 7:15 to arrive comfortably by 8
I'll take the moron next to me over this...
I actually have a big problem with traffic. Especially when running late. I don't even care if people cut me off in general, I am usually over it pretty quickly if people almost hit me, but I am put in a really bad mood for an extended period of time if I have to be in traffic.
Oh come on, this is a blast!
If it was as convenient as it is in Berlin, Germany. I probably wouldn't own a car.
me too, if I'm not going 5 over, I pretty much start to get an aggravation stomach ache
if more people used it, it would quickly become more convenient, but Americans keep clinging to their cars. it's in our blood, we gots to DRIVE! so yeah, in america anyways, I don't think Google car will ever be much more than a novelty.
My worst was back in 2001. I was paying my rent on my lunch and on my way back, I hit some inexplicable traffic on 1604 out near braun. It was the middle of winter and I got so upset that I started pouring sweat, I rolled the windows down and turned up the AC all the way to max and continued to pour sweat. I actually bruised my hand from hitting the steering wheel so much/hard.
I am not that bad anymore, but it still gets me upset. I pretty much try to avoid it which is why I love living 5 miles from work with nary a highway between.
The comfort/convenience of public transportation while still having a car? Of course Americans will love it. Heck, the rich hire drivers for a reason.
Um. You ever been to NYC/Chicago/DC? You think people don't commute when they have the option? Do you think commuting and carpooling are always feasible or efficient?
Yeah, want to tell me how much it costs to "commute" from one city to another in this country? The reason people drive is because it's the cheapest, fastest way to get there. Not because ZOMG CARS YOU GUYS. CARS.
your right, Google car will change the world
I personally wouldn't want one though
It would be nice to be able to take a long trip and read/sleep/surf the entire way.
It IS nice doing that, though not that safe.
Google Car seems like tech that won't be successful or affordable but I am just an armchair CEO. I know there are cars with the luxury feature of being able to park themselves but even those systems seemed clunky.
Google would have to lobby more, align themselves with or against big car manufacturers, and have to fight the public stigma associated with autopilot... because even though planes practically fly themselves we still have humans in the pit. And how will Google Car react to drunk drivers or other ty hazards that an experienced human would probably be able to respond to better? Just have humans always at the ready even though they're going to be reading or jerking off?
And tbh I think Google Glass will be a hit especially if they can translate that to niche gamers somehow. Having a HUD with features like a camera in your sunglasses seems like the kind of crap even a casual person would check out at Best Buy (if they're still around).
There are both eco versions of Mustangs and sporty versions of ecoboxes that sell pretty well, and the fuel inefficient trucks reign supreme still. But trucks and ecoboxes are also bought by rental companies and other businesses.
Performance vehicles often have tech that trickles down and serve as the flagship of a brand. Look at Toyota who have recently brought back an affordable RWD sports coupe along with a super exotic car a few years ago after not having anything to offer for the enthusiast, and they're developing their trucks as well. Almost like comparing mid/high end gamer cards to consoles/handhelds/etc, a graphics card company needs to research and develop stuff for the elite enthusiast even if the money is with the casuals
Last edited by Cane; 03-21-2013 at 08:50 PM.
Good post. Although I disagree about the public adoption of the Google car. I think it wouldn't be a very difficult decision for a consumer to make if it drops their car insurance by 80%. Not to mention if early reports are to be believed, these cars could virtually eliminate gridlock through a much more advanced communication system between cars. No more gridlock, and suddenly there are billions of gallons of fuel being saved each year, dropping the price of oil. And regardless of what you say about handling road conditions, 250k miles without a single accident is pretty amazing, especially considering that they're mostly prototypes that still have kinks to work out. I think a machine could EASILY handle a car much more competently than a person in the face of adverse conditions. Think of the ability for the computer to be linked to the traction control system and to know exactly how hard to steer the car to avoid an accident or maintain control in the event of a serious road hazard. Not to mention they could include infrared technology to give the sensors more range than the human eye can see.
I think there's a natural tendency humans have to underestimate how quickly technology has the potential and power to change things. It's hard to "imagine" the Google car becoming a reality. But the tech is there and it's developing rapidly. The requirement that a lot of things would have to happen before the Google Car would really take off does not make it impossible or even improbable, it just means there is a process that needs to occur. And it wouldn't take getting EVERY car manufacturer on board -- it would just take ONE that jumped on to see if consumer demand would make it a must have feature. As soon as that happens, everyone would be buying the Google navigation system.
Good post, agreed.
God help us if there is ever a Microsoft car though. I'd rather ride shotgun with Lohan tbh.
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