There seems to be no end to the German scandal involving carmakers' emissions-cheating endeavors. Now the first partial diesel-engine driving bans are being introduced. Are privately-owned cars soon a thing of the past?
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/J. Stratenschulte
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A study by German car expert Stefan Bratzel from the University of Applied Sciences in Bergisch Gladbach has revealed that young people living in big cities here are no longer keen to own a private car. Private car ownership and the emotional attachment of 18- to 24-year-olds in Germany have been decreasing steadily over the past few years, the survey shows. It's high time, it seems, that alternative traffic mobility concepts made inroads.
"In cities, young people are increasingly turning their backs on privately-owned cars," Bratzel told DW. "This paves the way for more public transport, alternative mobility concepts such as carsharing or bikesharing and other projects." He warned, though, that the situation would not change any time soon outside urban areas where privately owned cars are still highly valued.
Integrated mobility in Leipzig
The German city of Leipzig, for instance, is looking to digitally hook up its rail and bus services with its inner-city bike and car traffic. Across the city, there are 28 mobility stations to make it easier for people to change from one type of transport to another. A smart card enables travelers to get access to and pay for shared bikes or cars.
Volkswagen subsidiary MOIA hopes to improve mobility in Hamburg by pushing its pooling-principle shared taxi concept. It offers driverless VW e-buses that can be booked with the help of a smartphone app. It promises that bus stops are no farther away than 250 meters (820 feet) from where people live. A pilot project to this end is ongoing, with the official start of the scheme scheduled for next year.
VW subsidiary MOIA is planning to start its shared minibus service in 2019Image: moia.io
Deutsche Bahn subsidiary IOKL wants to offer carsharing using autonomous vehicles of various sizes. It's meant to become part and parcel of Hamburg's municipal transport system later this year. But there are also similar tests in smaller communities. Half a year ago, a self-driving electric minibus started operating in Bad Birnbach in the southern German state of Bavaria. It has already handled over 10,000 passengers.
In Munich, the "MVG Isar Tiger," a municipal mobility service, will start operating in mid-June. Via a smartphone app, you can book VW Caddy cars for use in restricted parts of the city.
Lack of political incentives
Currently, such alternative mobility concepts are being hampered by a lack of political support. "But politically motivated regulations are required to curb private car traffic," said Stefan Bratzel. "Otherwise, such projects can not really gain sufficient traction." Bratzel added there was no time to waste.
Autonomous buses and Zbee mini taxis from IOKL are in operation in Bad Birnbach, BavariaImage: picture-alliance/dpa/S. Stache
Germany's big carmakers have been investing heavily in mobility services for years. Daimler and BMW have recently pooled their respective services and now boast some 40 million customers, giving Uber a good run for its money.
Picking up the gauntlet
"We'll not leave the field to others when it comes to future urban mobility developments," said Daimler CEO Dieter Zetsche. "We're sending out a strong signal to our competitors by pooling our resources," added BMW cheif Harald Krüger when announcing the cooperation between the Car2Go and Drive Now carsharing services, with the mobility projects Mytaxi, Moovel and Park Now also to be bundled on one platform should regulators approve the deal.
Of course, Silicon Valley's internet giants also want to be part of the game. "It's a battle of different worlds, a battle between established carmakers and big data players," Bratzel argued, mentioning the ambitions of Google, Apple, Tencent, Alibaba and Baidu.
"These internet behemoths know how to handle large amounts of data and customer contacts, while for traditional carmakers it's still a steep learning curve."
Who even needs a car these days?
For a hundred years, buses, trains and cars have shaped transport. But what will become of diesel and petrol engines, even the steering wheel, when e-mobility and self-driving cars take over? There is no lack of visions.
Image: PodRide
Welcome to the traffic jam!
Germans are as attached to their forms of transport as the English are to their monarchy. No wonder: Gottlieb Daimler invented the modern car; Nicolaus August Otto co-invented the internal combustion engine. Every child knows the brands Daimler, BMW, Audi and VW, and that motorways were first built in Germany. But transport systems will become greener and more flexible, traffic researchers say.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/S. Jansen
The city of tomorrow
Since 2008, more people live in cities than in rural areas, and that trend is increasing. Urban zones will become CO2-neutral, climate-adapted, digitized and automated, Fraunhofer Morgenstadt Initiative researchers say. Networking will encourage more efficient means of transport, the sharing economy will catch on, mobility will become a service. No more need for your own car.
Smart — the age of digitization
With worldwide networking possible via the internet, cities and traffic systems can be coordinated. This could mean automatically switching traffic lights according to the flow of vehicles. Sensors could transmit data and prevent vehicles from hitting each other, thus avoiding accidents. Servicing, maintenance, insurance and parking meters may become unnecessary.
Image: SRF
Traditionally safe versus digitally self-driving
Will Amazon, Google and others become the new carmakers and put the drivers in the back seat? Interesting question — although self-driving cars have recently been dealt a setback. Testing at US company Uber was suspended after a self-driving car ran over a woman by night.
Image: Reuters/A. Josefczyk
Goodbye to road rage?
Today the streets are clogged, lights are red, you're stuck in a traffic jam, going to miss that appointment. Car horns, anger, insults: that's stressful. But rage and provocation could become things of the past if self-driving cars become the norm. Then, passengers can sit back and laugh about the old days.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/F. Cirou
The rise of the platform
Order your ride or taxi by app. Public and collective transport is increasingly being organized via the internet. You can even pay for the service through your smartphone.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/W.Gang
Discontinued model
The car's future is electric, that seems to be the consensus; the only question is, when? Despite investing billions into e-cars, there's a lack of options and sites for charging electric vehicles. Together with high costs, consumers are concerned. Alternatives to e-cars could fill the gap: fuel-electric hybrids, and other vehicles powered by hydrogen or synthetic fuels.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/B. Marks
Yellow goes green
Postal workers are climate-friendly when they deliver letters by foot or bike, but for parcels they need vehicles. Deutsche Post (DHL) and Aachen Technical University have invented the CO2-free StreetScooters, powered by renewable energy. One of the challenges of the future is to make sure the electricity used in electric vehicles is also climate-friendly.
Image: DW/A. Setiawan
Jack of all trades
It looks a little like a Smart car, but it's actually an e-bike on four wheels. The Podride is 1.8 meters (6 feet) long and has a closed cab with a comfy seat. It travels file on snow and ice, it's heated, it can manage steep and uneven slopes, and there is even storage space. The driver steers by way of two levers at the seat and pedals to power the rear wheels with help from the electric motor.
Image: PodRide
Autonomous flying car project
From many clever minds comes a clever idea. A dozen companies are developing personal aircraft. This rocket-like Vahana flying car prototype from Airbus is designed to beam a passenger along at 9,150 meters (30,000 feet) altitude, reaching speeds of 480 kilometers (298 miles) per hour. Battery swaps would be like Formula 1 pit stops: quick landings, and on you go.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa
E-mobile in the air
The Bauhaus Luftfahrt association is developing an airport and aircraft concept. The Ce liner would be power by two electric engines with aerodynamically efficient C-shape wings. Inner-city airports of the future would be arranged over several levels to save on space, with lift-off from the top level and battery charging on lower floors.
Image: Bauhaus-Luftfahrt e.V.
The steepest funicular in the world
The Swiss mountain village of Stoos boasts the steepest cable railway in the world. It rises up 744 meters in altitude as it travels 1.7 kilometers in just four minutes. The village has 150 permanent residents, but 2,000 hotel beds for visitors to come and enjoy the view in the car-free resort. Maybe someday the Himalayas will have a similar system?
Image: Reuters/A.Wiegmann
The mobility revolution is in full swing
Can you imagine the world without your own car? Until now, the car has represented prosperity and independence. But experts see mobility as becoming smart in the near future, with cars being used by multiple users and forming just one part of a range of mobility offerings.
