The current business model of the automotive industry is based on individual car
ownership, yet new ridesharing companies such as Uber and Lyft are well
capitalized to invest in large, commercially operated, on-demand mobility
service vehicle fleets. Car manufacturers like Tesla want to incorporate
personal car owners into part-time fleet operation by utilizing the company’s
fleet service. These robotaxi fleets can be operated profitably when the
technology works in a reliable manner and regulators allow driverless
operation.
Although Mobility-as-a-Service (MaaS) models of private and commercial vehicle
fleets can complement public transportation models, they may contribute to lower
public transportation ridership and thus higher subsidies per ride. This can
lead to inefficiencies in the utilization of existing public transportation
infrastructure. MaaS platforms can also cause a reduced reliance on parking
infrastructure (e.g., street parking lanes and parking garages) which can
contribute to an improvement in overall traffic flow, and a reduction in capital
investment for commercial and residential real-estate development. Urban
planning can be better centered around the true mobility needs of the citizens
without sacrificing valuable space for vehicles that are inactive most of the
time. A key challenge is the transition phase where traditional forms of car
ownership and transportation coexist with new forms of mobility services (before
true MaaS platforms are fully optimized). Another fundamental issue is
determining the true cost of car ownership and establishing ideal cost
structures for on-demand mobility services in order to replace the need of
owning a car. This needs to occur without compromising subsidized public
transportation which provides affordable transportation for low-income
groups.
NOTE: SAE EDGE™ Research Reports are intended to identify and illuminate key
issues in emerging, but still unsettled, technologies of interest to the
mobility industry. The goal of SAE EDGE™ Research Reports is to stimulate
discussion and work in the hope of promoting and speeding resolution of
identified issues. SAE EDGE™ Research Reports are not intended to resolve the
issues they identify or close any topic to further scrutiny.