What if Driving Were Free

After attending thea recent auto conference financial services company Raymond Jones issued a research note stating that Apple and Google were now officially competitors to the auto industry. 

With CarPlay and Android Auto installed in a vehicle, auto companies have concluded that they eliminate differentiation in the user experience. This terrifies OEM's and manufacturers alike, because without that differentiation currently high markups are difficult to justify.

The thought of Apple, Google, or any other tech company going it alone to develop a car may seem surprising but is inevitable. Google recently moved from converting existing vehicles into self driving cars to creating an entirely new vehicle type with no steering wheel or rearview mirror. Apple may not be far behind with a similar creation.

So how would the world look with tech companies running the auto industry. Here are a few points that I would expect.

• Commuters will not own vehicles. Companies will have fleets that drive around and move people as requested. Think a glorified Uber only no driver and the scale to make it more affordable.
• Commute differentiation will matter. Do you want your vehicle to have a bed so that you can snag a few more minutes of sleep? What about an exercise bike? A workstation?
• Commune commutes will lead to self driving buses or other shared ride options.
• With transportation a revenue driver for tech companies look for immediate advancements in fuel.
• As a current test in Las Vegas proves there is interest in replacing Semi truck drivers, so look for a very impactful cross country transport revolution.
• And finally, what if driving were free. Is there really that much of a difference between cars on the highway and information on the information superhighway? I mean, besides absolutely eliminating accidents and unnecessary driving time - what if the transportation of America became a macrocosm of the world wide web, funded by advertising. Possible? Riders could be targeted based on their interests, destinations, and more.