Transportation is Mobility and Mobility is freedom.
That is my thankful wish for Electric and Autonomous Vehicles and the future of transportation not just in America, but globally.
I am thankful for the robust discussions that are taking place in corporate boards, garage bays, and Statehouses across the United States. If nothing else, this year we realize the power to positively impact the environment through electric vehicles and the possibility of creating equity in transportation options with autonomous vehicles.
But just as importantly as the boardroom or the truckyard having these conversations is the fact that law firms, insurance companies and healthcare workers are beginning to join in. They are all asking “how will electric vehicles or autonomous vehicles (in some cases the same vehicle) make our lives better – easier, less costly, more manageable and provide greater mobility”?
The gains that we look forward to are the ability for disabled people to make a last-minute decision to travel someplace. Instead of the model of today where often the only source of mobility is a public transport system that requires a 48 hour- sometimes a week- in advance scheduling.
We can anticipate employment opportunities for current delivery workers because of autonomous vehicles. In community colleges students are learning to build or repair delivery robots which will improve their potential to have a job that provides a living wage. This is so much better then a delivery job that does not pay minimum wage and has them teetering on the edge, not earning a living wage that will support a single person much less a family.
Of course, we will see gains not only in the ability to access healthcare through an autonomous vehicle taking you to and from a medical provider, but also giving you mobility for various medical needs that require transportation. This is something to be thankful for: the prospect that widespread use of autonomous vehicles will result in far fewer than the current 1 million people who die each year globally in crashes. This means hospital’s triage and emergency centers could be re-purposed and that energy dedicated to addressing other long-term systemic health issues that currently exist in America and around the world.
For law firms, they no longer need to be the compensator seeker for people and property that are either are physically injured in car crashes or suffer damaged property. Soon law firms can concentrate on creating a framework that will address the rare but possible crash or injury. The possibility of a national compensation pool might be the best way to direct those losses and garner the attention of those law firms. Thus, removing the terminology “ambulance chaser” from our lexicon forever.
What about the farmers and those who are in trucking/freight industry? The idea that goods will travel quickly across the country and spoilage will essentially become a thing of the past is certainly something to be thankful for, especially in a world where there are people who still go hungry every night.
And who wouldn’t be thankful for the promise of an electric vehicle that will reduce harmful emissions, create jobs and provide a sustainable future and infrastructure for our vehicles as they move across the roadways of America and globally. Corporation after corporation, car manufacturer after car manufacturer is realizing the benefits. These benefits are not just to the environment but also to their bottom line so they are jumping on the electric vehicle bandwagon. This should temper those who were bearish when Governor Newsom signed an executive order declaring that the state of California, and likely the 13 jurisdictions that follow them, would no longer sell internal combustion engine vehicles by 2035. This is such a global issue that Boris Johnson, Prime Minister of England has made clear his intent that the UK will no longer sell new internal combustion engine vehicles after 2030.
While we are in the throes of dealing with vestiges of a pandemic we acknowledge the suffering worldwide for those impacted physically, economically and psychologically from the disease. We hope for a brighter tomorrow where the political economy of electric and autonomous vehicles make the world a more equitable place providing mobility for all. Let us move toward a world where harmful noxious gases and emissions are drastically reduced resulting in a place where it’s not only safe to walk or drive across the road, but one where it is also safe to breathe the air.
Happy Thanksgiving
