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Comment by prawn | Hacker News Reader

Are there any doubts that the bulk of future (at least urban) car usage will be car-on-demand rather than individual ownership? If so, something like Uber has differentiated based on quality or capacity, rather than brand of vehicle. And Apple is very much a brand-focused company. So I'm wondering what the educated guesses are about a future that reconciles these two facets. Are we calling an Apple car to the airport in the future? Are they anticipating a large enough gap between self-driving cars and an increased drift away from car ownership that they get 10-20 years from that, and then migrate to car-as-service?

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I keep hearing this all the time. May be I am (and a whole generation of me) an aberration, but I have no plans to switch to a car on demand. Let me be clear that I love public transport, like a metro. Something about the small confined space of a car, when dirtied and not kept meticulously clean, is a no-go for me. I take an Uber occasionally and unless the driver is a clean freak, the car ride is not comfortable for me. Occasional ride is ok, but I would not make it my normal mode of transport.

You don't have an abnormal take here at all. Most people are incredibly resistant to this idea. My prediction is that it won't be a choice for the majority of people. Cars are inherently too expensive for each of us to own one, and the experiment of cars will not last as it currently does. If you can continue to afford it then you'll likely be able to, but that isn't going to be the case for th3 vast majority of people.

One use-based charge so you're not having to individually deal with a license, registration, insurance, maintenance and fuel - that will gradually prove more and more attractive. Where I live, just the base cost to have a car before it is even driven is ~$2,000/year. It might be that families phase out their second car or students forgo a car at all, older people give up their car sooner, etc.

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