Have you noticed how car ownership is less popular than ever? We’re looking at a drastic shift in how the new generations fulfill their transportation needs, compared to what was until recently the absolute norm. Thanks in part to economic constraints as well as the rise of modern alternatives like Uber, there’s a fast growing demographic of people who there who feel no need whatsoever to own a personal car.
Does that mean Uber has eradicated the need for personal cars? Not necessarily. Uber founders simply excelled reading the writing on the wall, and created an innovative service that caters brilliantly to the new paradigm. For many of its clients, ride-haling turns out to be more efficient than car ownership.
Ride-hailing as alternative to car ownership
This may not be immediately obvious for everyone, but the costs of owning a car can be quite prohibitive when you’re living in a big city … not to mention it’s simply not a practical solution, even if you can afford it. Asides from all the money you have to spend to keep the car running (from gas to insurance and maintenance), you also have to worry about limited parking spaces, thefts, dents and similar issues. Studies are now showing ride-hailing can make it easier to ditch personal cars in large cities. This isn’t too surprising, since for a long time now owning a car has been a declining trend for anyone living in a metropolis with a good public transportation system.
Weighing the cost of each individual ride
When you actually do the math to determine how much an individual ride costs when you own a car, you will quickly realize this it’s typically much more expensive than simply calling an Uber when you need it. In fact, even classic options such as car leasing are now in high demand, since they have better cost effectiveness on the long run. This is especially true nowadays since you don’t always need to pay a deposit to get a brand new leased car.
Automakers are now preparing for change
The times are changing, and even the car industry has noticed and is subtly making adjustments to their operations. In fact, automakers are now preparing for the death of car ownership in cities because they know the concept is being replaced with better modern alternatives. From car leasing to social ride-sharing platform to the increased popularity of cycling to the introduction of driverless vehicles, there are now many popular options to choose from… not to mention how the economy is pushing everyone away from private ownership and into cooperative platforms.
Paving the way for a less chaotic city traffic
One of the best things about this transition away from car ownership and towards resource sharing is the reduction of city traffic across major cities. As car ownership becomes less common, that means less cars will be need overall – which means city traffic is gradually being alleviated. This set the stage for a somewhat brighter future, where it will be easier to move around the big city centers with less pollution involved!
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