[simonw]

I honestly don't understand the appeal of a private self-driving vehicle as opposed to a taxi-style rental service.

I like that Waymo has human backup! Knowing that if the car gets into a tricky situation there's someone who can remote control it back out again is very reassuring.

I also like not having to think about where it parks, what it's doing when I'm not in it etc.

[jedberg]

I would love to have one! Imagine all the benefits you just listed, but it's just mine so I can keep my stuff in it. Maybe my car seat or my work equipment or my shopping bags.

I get where I'm going and I send it over the the parking garage a mile away that's cheap, and then summon it back when I'm done with my event, so I never have to circle for parking. If enough people to it, they would probably develop a protocol so that they can be parked at a lot that is super dense and it's a puzzle to get the cars in and out.

And they could still be sold with remote human backup services (as well as giving you the owner the ability to take over if you want to).

I could also send it on errands. Go to Target and pick up my curbside order. Go to the pizza place and have them drop it on the front seat. Pick up my kid from school and bring her home. Go pick up my mother in law and bring her to my house so I don't have to go get her!

And I could use it to drive me to my parents house 350 miles away while I sleep.

I can think of a million reasons I'd want one.

[dageshi]

I've been thinking about this.

In self driving world it no longer makes sense for a car to look like they do now.

Instead I think they operate a bit like Coach and Horses used to. You the consumer own the "coach", you have it specced out how you want it, your choice of seating (hell even a bed?), your sound system, your big screen tv, whatever you want because you're a passenger not the driver.

The "horses" are the self driving bit + batteries. The ubiquitous taxi service owns these. Maybe you permanently rent a low range model (100 miles) that is attached to your "Coach" at all times for quick errands. For longer range journeys you hire a model with more battery and longer range that drives over and attaches automatically to your coach.

For really long range journeys, your self driving "horse" drives into a coaching station along the way, detaches and another one attaches in 30 seconds and off you go.

[djhn]

Ooh interesting vision! Are any companies pursuing this avenue?

[dageshi]

The self driving bit has to be nailed down first I think, once that's done nothing I've described is even remotely difficult to implement, it's more a matter of peoples thinking around driving evolving.

I think it might go this way because people feel like they want to "own" their "cars". Especially in America it's a big part of the culture, so I can see being able to buy the coach part as being a popular compromise.

Powering electric cars is already cheaper, but right now they're less convenient, with self driving they become as convenient or more than gas vehicles. You no longer have to stop and charge anywhere because there's a fresh "horse" waiting to be hooked up while your existing one drives off to a charging station, all the downsides are automated away.

[bryanlarsen]

BYD is doing something related in China. They've got a fairly popular battery swapping service that can swap in and out batteries of different sizes.

[AlotOfReading]

Maintaining an autonomous vehicle comes with a significantly higher maintenance burden than a regular car right now. Even if the sticker price were the same, would you be willing to check the air pressure regularly, take the vehicle in for calibration, clean the sensors, do software updates, implement the legal reporting responsibilities, etc? That's the current reality.

Most people don't want that and there's no market for it. Consumers (rightly) expect a vehicle that just works. It's still early days for this technology and building something that works as reliably/independently as the rest of a car isn't possible yet.

[jedberg]

> Maintaining an autonomous vehicle comes with a significantly higher maintenance burden than a regular car right now.

Sure, and the cost would be really high too, but for a very wealthy person it might be worth it.

> would you be willing to check the air pressure regularly

I have to do that on my regular car, but it only needs air once every six months or so. New tires are pretty good about holding air. Also, no different than a regular car.

> take the vehicle in for calibration

I already have sensors on my car that require calibration, and I do that when it goes in for maintenance, about once a year. I wonder if these sensors need calibration more often.

> clean the sensors

You mean, wash the car? :)

> do software updates, implement the legal reporting responsibilities, etc?

I assume that would all be automatic over the air. And again, we're talking about someone who could afford a $150K car. There is a good chance they could hire someone to do that stuff too.

[AlotOfReading]

Generally, all of these (except sometimes calibration) are done on a weekly/monthly basis for testing fleets. Software updates and diagnostic reads can be automatic, but in practice there's enough moving parts that they require fairly regular intervention for safe operation. Legal reporting is not automatic currently. Tesla implemented that for their ADAS solutions and has been repeatedly grilled by NHTSA on their incomplete reporting. All of the commercial fleets implement reporting semi-manually because of the existential danger getting it wrong represents.

[adamanonymous]

I think most people would rather have their car circle the block indefinitely, rather than pay for parking and wait for their car to summon, which would create so many new traffic problems.

I'm picturing herds of empty Model 3's endlessly circling every city's downtown office district

[GrzegorzWidla]

Careful what you wish for. Cities that don’t fight back such a mass influx of self-driving cars running errands for everyone would become absolutely non-livable.

[xnx]

> but it's just mine so I can keep my stuff in it

In the distant future (10 years?) we may have private trailers/pods that are moved by self-driving vehicles. Best of both options.