Uber and Lyft: Transportation On Demand
Uber and Lyft are both heading towards a future in which they’ll handle every conceivable way to get you from Point A to Point B — and in the process disrupt the very concept of personal car ownership.
Both ride-hailing companies have joined the many firms ready to release electric scooters, launch electric-bike rental services, provide rentals of people’s personal cars and use an app that will let users buy public transit tickets.
“Not many people in our country take bikes and scooters for utilitarian trips, for going to work, the grocery store, out at night even though it’s a low-cost healthy way to get around,” said Paul Mackie, director of research and communications at the Mobility Labs think tank. “It’s great that Uber and Lyft are putting money and publicity and building interest in these other great ways to travel. It lends credence to them as mobility companies, not just tech companies.”
Read the article at the San Francisco Chronicle.
Safety Tip: Driving in Extreme Heat
Are your vehicles properly prepared for summer driving? This one second safety tip from Driving Dynamics can help reduce the risk of breakdowns caused by extreme heat.
Autonomous Cars Could Change Your Home’s Value
Autonomous vehicles could change residential real estate, rendering the two-car garage obsolete and increasing livable square footage and home values.
Autonomous vehicle ride sharing could very well offer the same mobility as car ownership/leasing without the major capital outlay, the hassle of maintenance, insurance and depreciation or the underutilization inherent to car ownership/leasing.
"If local governments are willing to modify their existing requirements, the unused garage space could be converted to livable space in existing homes and new homes could be built with less garage space and more livable square footage. That change alone could, in turn, result in an increase in home values and a corresponding increase in property taxes."
Read the article at Forbes.
A Lesson in Being Customer Driven from a Four-Legged Friend
By Tracy Mandelka, Assistant Vice President, Business Development, Wheels Inc.
One of the most fulfilling parts of my day is walking through my front door and being greeted by my dog, Cali.
I have a 75-pound mutt (I use this term affectionately) jumping on my couch, with two paws on the armrest the other two on the couch cushions, waiting impatiently for me to open up the door. I’ve often wondered why, when I know it’s coming and that she is breaking many house rules, this simple act puts me instantly at ease. And then one day it hit me – Cali’s ritual is purely customer driven. She anticipates my needs and customizes her actions accordingly.
Driving Through Wonderland
By Art Liggio, President and CEO, Driving Dynamics
Be honest. Just admit it. We all daydream from time to time; maybe a bit more than we realize.
Can be kind of fun, sometimes relaxing, perhaps good for our mental health but the truth be told, it can also be a deadly activity when we operate a vehicle.
Just how dangerous is daydreaming while driving?
