“We are entering a time when price and size get decoupled,” says Mark Platshon, Senior Advisor of BMW i Ventures in the above video filmed at the Joint Venture Silicon Valley 2016 State of the Valley Conference. Platshon was referring to the idea that today’s buyers are increasingly looking to technology to improve the mobility experience and value that contribution more than the traditional ways of measuring the automobile as a status symbol.
He points out, there will still be an opportunity for differentiation, even in a shared environment, and that technology can help create a customized experience for each rider. Platshon sees autonomous car and ride-sharing services designed for specific needs (e.g. delivery, kids’ shuttle, etc.). In such a shared environment, the vehicles will not be generic, but will be available for various purposes (e.g. family, personal, ride share, etc.). He alludes to the increasing importance of the sharing of vehicles, as ownership becomes secondary to convenience and cost. Implicit in his comments is the idea of using automation to allow the real-time deployment and redeployment of vehicles to where they are needed.
These changes to vehicles, along with electrification, will have an impact on the built-environment. Platshon discusses how land-use can become more efficient and cities can be rebuilt as sharing services allow the decoupling of parking from where we live and work. It will be an environment where instead of mandating parking spaces, planners may have to mandate minimum drop-off and pick-up spaces in front of buildings.
