Page 211 - Are You Future Ready?
P. 211

Chapter Three - Right Place











                a switch to electric cars will lead to a substantial drop in
                the cost of robotaxis by 80% to less than US50 cents (HK$4)

                per mile, half the cost of a private car. Currently, ride-hailing
                services cost about USD2.5 per mile (HK$19.5, equivalent
                to the taxi fare for the first two kilometers in Hong Kong).
                It is much more expensive than a private car operating on

                US80-90 cents per mile (about HK$7), revealed the Chief
                Executive of Uber. Meanwhile, each private owned car
                spends on average 96% of its usable time parking, when
                the cost of maintenance, depreciation, insurance and

                other running costs are added together, cars are the most                  209
                underused asset consumers own, as pointed out by Fitch
                International, a credit rating agency.



                   Benefit #2: Air pollution improvement


                An autonomous ride-hailing service requires no parking
                space for car users, and poses no worry that drivers will
                fall asleep while driving. At the same time, air pollution will

                also be greatly improved since electric vehicles will mainly
                be used. Therefore, the robotaxi is expected to intrude on
                the private car market shortly in the future.
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