Each year the GLOBE Forum brings together leaders in business and government to collaborate on methods of creating a sustainable and clean economy. This year, our Founder, Sandra Phillips was on the panel outlining the latest ideas on mobility of the future and what this means for infrastructure, business and policy making. She shared the stage with Cara Clairman, CEO and President, Plug’n’Drive, Matt Horton, Chief Commercial Officer, Proterra, Simon Lonsdale, Chief Strategy Officer, ChargePoint and Timothy Burr, Director of Public Policy at Lyft.
The panel discussion was lively and revolved around the progression of current technology. An increase in ride-hail and car-share users, plus a rise in funding for autonomous vehicles by automaker manufacturers has made the future of transportation crucial in creating sustainable and livable cities.
Globe forum 2018 takeaways
future of av implementation: faves
Our Founder, Sandra Phillips spoke about the future implementation of AV technology as FAVES (not ACES), and how it will play a crucial part in creating cities that are shared and equally available to all inhabitants. What is FAVES? This stands for Fleet of Autonomous Vehicles that are Electric and Shared. ACES stands for Autonomous, Connected, Electric, & Shared Vehicles.
She spoke of three main areas where she saw the most potential for AV technology:
1. Relocation & Rebalancing
Relocation and rebalancing of vehicle fleets is one of the biggest challenges for carsharing (and soon-to-be autonomous fleets) as we recently discussed in this whitepaper with our fleet partner, Ecoservice. At GLOBE Forum, Sandra referenced car2go and how recently it was forced to shut down in the Horseshoe Bay area due to a problem with rebalancing these vehicles and the costs associated with having their in-field technicians taking care of it. Cars were not being used at weekends and therefore unavailable for use in Vancouver and North Vancouver at peak times. She clarified that fleet management is and will be critical in maintaining the balance and location of autonomous vehicles for the future of shared mobility but that AV combined with big data and AI has the potential to alleviate some of the operational pains.
2. On Demand Public Transit
To create a livable and sustainable environment for everyone in the future, the need for more flexible and on demand public transit options in smaller communities must be addressed. On the GLOBE Forum panel, Sandra referenced the Bowen Island Smart Shuttle project for which movmi has been collaborating with Translink.
The idea is to update the transit options by delivering them in a more responsive, user generated way through the use of technology. The driver and passengers would be connected by an app and would enable the driver to take a deviated, but fixed route. Projects like these can have an even bigger impact in the future when AV technology is integrated into the smart shuttle especially for first and last mile travel.
3. Mobility for Everyone
Combining autonomous and electric technology with shared mobility will create safe travel options for those who cannot currently drive, such as the elderly or kids or for those who cannot afford to own a vehicle. This movement will create ultimate equality in mobility, allowing everyone – regardless of age, gender, or income – to get from point A to B safely and efficiently. It will grant all people access to maneuver through everyday life conveniently and without concern. This is the same message that Sandra drove home during her TED talk at the Speed of Change event in NYC this past November (you can read more on that here).
Sandra had a wonderful experience speaking on the panel at GLOBE Forum this year, and we are happy with all of the Autonomous Vehicle and future shared mobility takeaways that came of it. Interested in hearing Sandra speak at the next shared mobility event? Get in touch with us here to find out about her next speaking engagement.
