Mobility Conference 2016: Forecasts for the near future

Carmen Spielmann, CEO of the car-sharing platform sharoo, explained the possibilities of the emerging sharing economy. Business models such as Airbnb, Uber and sharoo are just the beginning of the digital evolution. The car is already being used as a mobile mailbox by parcel delivery companies, for example, and smart providers in the U.S. pick up the car directly in front of the company entrance when there is a shortage of parking space. Carmen Spielmann: "In a few years, thanks to autonomously driving cars, it will be possible to use your vehicle as a wellness oasis by having services such as haircuts or massages done."

Coexistence of different drives has a future
According to Christian Bach, head of the Vehicle Propulsion Systems department at EMPA, automotive development is also being driven by stricter legislation: "In as little as ten years, emission limits for vehicle fleets will be reduced to below 80 grams km/CO₂ must decrease. In the future, however, not only tailpipe emissions but also life cycle emissions will be decisive. There is no silver bullet with regard to drive systems; this will depend on the area of application. A coexistence of conventional combustion engines and alternative drives is quite conceivable." Andreas Burgener, Director of the importers' association auto-schweiz.ch, showed how Switzerland as a car country has changed in recent years: "The number of motor vehicles has risen from around 3 to 4.5 million in the last 25 years, while the road network has remained almost unchanged. The consequences: 21,500 hours of congestion in 2015 alone." Andreas Burgener called for more momentum for road projects: "The Gotthard Tunnel shows that with will, roads are possible."

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Photo: A&W