H LV wrote: "Free rider." ... I think public transport should be free too.but of course it won't really be free.
Few thins are really free, of course especially if carbon fuel is consumed. But basic transportation can be much smarter and less costly, perhaps fuel-free and out-of-pocket free. Plus, as Elon sez -- a massive societal shift can take place in a relatively short time frame. Soon! There has been a lot of speculation online about one or more 'new paradigms' for automotive transportation. Many assume some kind of sharing to cover added costs, along with battery power, low emissions from shared solar and even shared-AI being a part of the total package. And of course LENR could make things much more interesting since the car and it battery storage capability will be capable of providing electricity to the homes involved. Critics call this kind of talk neo-Marxist, but a substantial financial benefit could indeed end up favoring the limit4ed situation where the net cost of automobile ownership becomes indeed "free" in one way accounting... commies-be-damned. The refusniks will be the last to profit. This is actually paer of the logical end-game merger of Capitalism with Marxism. Sure - the family car will never disappear - nor will fossil fuel, especially in rural areas and the Third World - but the types of shared ownership and common usage controlled by AI are flexible and real. If and when we move closer to a work-at-home society, then the value of space is multiplied - even garage space becomes so valuable that monetizing extra space could actually "pay" for basic transportation.This is already true in a few big cities. The scenario which I favor combines full self-driving (self parking and self recharging ) with shared neighborhood ownership and hydrogen power via LENR and an advanced local AI network where say a dozen vehicles are shared by a dozen like-minded households who also get much of their electrical power from the cars - which can actially be parked miles away. Dream on ! ...and wait till the next April fools prediction by Elon where he actually buys into LENR...
