The self-driving car boom is finally upon the world. Yahoo is now recommending stocks to investors who are looking to cash in, and there is a general legislative push across the world, and the USA in particular, to allow these vehicles into the market and to have them start moving nations forward. Embracing autonomous vehicles could be of significant benefit to businesses, too. The time savings they represent, and the marketing sphere they operate inside of, are very much at the cutting edge of modern business strategy. First, however, it’s important to understand the risks.
Risk and legal protection
The development and innovation of self-driving cars have not been without controversy. As Forbes highlights, crashes and computer-leading-common-sense incidents have caused 63% of respondents in one survey to state they are afraid of these vehicles. Furthermore, autonomous vehicles in Arizona, a state well known for its progressive view toward testing, have made news after high-profile accidents. This has already laid the ground for a business need where an enterprise is seeking to use self-driving cars – risk and legal protection. Self-driving cars are in a murky gray zone as far as liability goes, and it’s important to have experienced legal assistance to help hedge that risk. There’s also the risk that it simply might not work out; businesses staking their future and image on the automated vehicle may end up making losses, or not being able to shore out future volatility.
Employee benefits
On to the vehicles themselves, and it’s the time savings they create that represent the best possible benefit for businesses. As The Mercury News highlights, a self-driven economy would see commute times cut by 50 minutes on average. There is also the potential, in the future, for the operators of these cars to complete work or other tasks while being driven. Corporate fleet managers may also be pleased to see that billions of dollars will be saved in avoided accidents; self-driving cars eliminate much of the human risk and distracted driving that currently leads to such events.
High tech and conscious
The impact of being seen as sustainable and high-tech cannot be understated in marketing terms. According to experts at HubSpot, repeated surveys have shown that the average consumer is willing to change their spending plans entirely on the basis of the sustainability of what is being offered. This is a huge opportunity for businesses that can embrace the zero-carbon, high-tech nature of self-driving vehicles as part of their core business identity. Branding is about consistency and a single voice that is shown throughout the business operation – whether it’s in services, products, or the fleet that employees rely on.
Full steam ahead, or something close to that, in the automated driving industry – and businesses may now want to jump on board. Embracing the technological and clean revolution of these vehicles, and being across the risks they pose, is a huge opportunity. Sustainability places businesses at the heart of the modern market, after all.
