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Planes, Trains, and Automobiles: Will Autonomous Transportation Redefine Business Travel?

Whether it be for sales and marketing or transportation and hard labor, the need for a working vehicle in a company is pretty high. However, the mileage expenses and various risks that come along with handing the keys to an employee can sometimes outweigh the benefits. With the problems of human error leading to countless car accidents, and gas prices constantly rising, the implementation of one new form of technology may redefine what we perceive as business travel. Not only do self-driving cars, which will officially hit the market within the next five years, pave a far safer road for our future, but also put the ‘auto’ in autonomy as well. However, to fully understand how much these cars will change, we must first look at what exactly they can save a business owner, how this will remove the human error element of driving, and how this can even transform what it means to be a “car junkie”.

Travelling Expenses: Null and Void in a World of Autonomy

Many of the self-driving car prototypes being revealed currently have more than just the perk of autonomy on their side. With the popularization of electric car brands such as Tesla, and Elon Musk himself at the forefront of this modern tech, it’s no surprise that many of the most popular autonomous car models being displayed are electric. The main reason that electric vehicles are so enticing for business owners looking for a gas alternative is that the cost to charge an electric car pales in comparison to the cost of gas — especially for long distance travel.

Similarly, self-driving cars also happen to save management money by reducing the cost of insurance rates. With the removal of human error, it is said that insurance rates may drop. In exchange, the cars used for a company could be far less expensive, and any crashes that occur could easily be blamed on the car’s manufacturer, rather than the employee at the wheel.

Lastly, the use of autonomous cars also reduces the cost of hotel expenses, as it removes the need to stop and sleep in hotels due to fatigue. It is said that the first autonomous cars should be able to fully function, even when the individual within the car is asleep. Of course, this may seem a bit scary at first but, as with all new technology, it’s bound to become the norm in little to no time at all.

You No Longer Have to Be “Present”

To further expand on the true autonomy of these cars, Musk and various other runners in the autonomous car race have said that they should be able to do any and all maneuvers a human could with ease by the time they hit the market. If this feat can be achieved, this autonomy would truly open up a plethora of options for business owners, including new delivery opportunities, marketing campaigns that stretch across the nation, and even new options for the transportation of goods across states.

Instead of being forced to train your staff on delivery protocol, pay massive fees for the use of trucking fleets, or buy billboards to promote your brand, you can simply send an autonomous car. Furthermore, when using it for business travel — whether it be to seal deals or even just promote the brand at nationwide conventions — this removal of human error not only drastically reduces the likelihood of car accidents, but also ensures that you do not wind up dealing with the messy worker’s compensation cases typically involved in being hurt on the job.

Furthermore, for the trucking industry, in particular, these cars could ensure that they receive the sleep they deserve whilst still doing their job on time. With so many trucking accidents being caused by a lack of sleep, this technology could help ensure that truck accident cases are a thing of the past.

Car Upgrades: Are They a Thing of the Past?

One of the things that many tried and true car junkies have seemed to take note of with the new cars are their silent and sleek appearances. Some of these individuals speculate that it removes everything that makes a car a car in the first place. Although this may seem like a minor issue when it comes to a business, it truly all depends on the kind of business and kind of transportation you run and require. For instance, for a company that delivers products nationwide in large fleet trucks, many fear that the trucks will be weak and far less capable when it comes to the tough and sometimes treacherous situations they will be put up against.

Similarly, if you happen to run a company that works in construction or heavy labor, the fear of the car or truck not being durable and powerful enough remains an issue. On top of this, many people also fear that the things that make these large and powerful trucks so strong will also be lost in translation. For instance, with the removal of any and all gas components, many people are upset that they will no longer be able to see and hear the benefits of a cat-back exhaust or the sheer power of a true truck engine as these new cars will be quiet and efficient rather than strong and loud.

However, despite this being the case, it is fairly obvious that the removal of fossil fuel is essential and, for any business owner that isn’t stuck in the past or in love with the sound of a rumbling diesel engine, this is how it is done. In the end, it takes one technological advancement at a time to transform the way our world runs and, with the first autonomous cars hitting the streets in Texas as we speak, it only makes sense that the next advancement in a line of many comes in the form of the transportation we know and love.