Implementing driverless vehicles- A smart journey

Implementing Driverless Vehicles- A Smart Journey
Student’s Name and ID
Course Title
Institution Affiliation
Abstract
Singapore is one of the countries pushing to take the lead in the industry of autonomous vehicles. Soon, the automakers may begin selling cars and trucks that have the capability of autonomy, and thousands of cars will be driving themselves. For instance, Google has been running numerous trials in California and Texas. Similarly, Nissan which is a Japanese car maker has been running trials on a prototype of autonomous vehicles. It is predicted that the new technology may come with various benefits such as reduced congestion, faster and safer means of transport and reduced global warming among other benefits. However, there are also certain challenges that be attributed to this technology upon its implementation such as loss of jobs for drivers and recharge problems among other issues. The paper will highlight some of the benefits and also challenges of driverless cars. The paper will also identify various improvements to existing efforts to introduce driverless vehicles.
Introduction
Various developed countries and automakers and nations are currently warming up for driverless cars, which is a new revolutionary invention. Singapore is also not left behind. Driverless cars are considered as the next big thing not only in Singapore but also in the entire world. The country is at the forefront in the development of the new technology. For instance, in August 2017, nuTonomy became the first company worldwide to provide invite-only driverless taxi rides in Singapore (Liang, 2017).

The government also unveiled plans to roll out such technology to mass transport for utility operation, freight transport, on-demand shuttle and intra- and “inter-town travel” among other services. The technology is a great milestone that is expected to reshape the economy and revolutionize the aspect of “behind the wheel.” Although there could be certain challenges, the technology means solutions that connect resource and climate conservation measures with value creation.
Evidence for driverless vehicles
Implementing driverless vehicles is likely to boost the economy of Singapore. The key accelerator of this new invention is the enormous net benefit regarding the competitive position of organizations and countries (Yong, 2017). Other benefits include increase in personal time and a significant decrease in cost of labor, fuel, capital, and insurance among other costs. The cars are known for greater fuel efficiency and road congestion. They are normally designed to optimize efficiency and also fuel efficiency which would create a positive impact on the economy (Ajanovic, 2015). It will also relieve the demand for labor due to the automation aspect. The maintenance cost for electric cars is relatively lower than that of normal cars. Since they run entirely on electrically powered engines, there is no need for lubricating engines on a regular basis. The other costly engine works will also become a thing of the past you don’t have to take such cars to the service section as regular as normal gasoline-powered cars. Implementing this technology would grant Singapore a great competitive advantage as far as technology and innovation are concerned. Therefore, driverless cars represent a great opportunity to develop its leadership position in science and technology.
The technology will minimize the aspect of delays because it is a faster means of transport. In the developing world, congestion has proven to be very costly since a lot of time is wasted in traffic jams. The technology will transform people’s lives by reducing the time wasted in traffic jams which would be translated into economic growth. In others words, Driverless cars are likely to change the world regarding the way we do things. According to a study conducted by McKinsey, it was estimated that implementation of autonomous cars would minimize CO2 emission by about 300 million every year (Liang, 2017). The implementation would bring several other benefits for Singapore beyond just the financial benefits. The elderly, as well as the physically challenged persons like the blind, will finally have the opportunity to independently drive with autonomous vehicles, significantly improving their quality of life. It is vital to note the living standard is one of the indicators that show economic development.
Evidence against driverless vehicles
Despite the above advantages of electric cars, there are also certain challenges that be attributed to this technology. Many people risk losing their jobs in the event the technology is rolled out and largely embraced nationwide. For instance, in Singapore, the job of being a driver is one of the most common jobs in the country. It implies that very many people are likely to lose their job in the event the new invention is rolled out. Besides, there are many of people working in infrastructures that support the current vehicles such as gas stations. Many people may lose their jobs because the vehicles will no longer require gas stations. There has been a public debate on the impact of driverless cars on the global workforce (LIM, 2017). Loss of jobs among people could be one of the effects of implementing driverless vehicles. Some other obstacles for this vehicle currently include battery limitations, recharge time, limited range and high cost. For instance, a customer would require six hours to recharge the battery and at least 100-125 mile range which is related to the kilowatt-hours of power.
Improvements to existing efforts to introduce driverless vehicles
Despite the above challenges, there are certain improvements that can be done to enable the implementation of these autonomous cars. One of the ways to do that is to address the shortcomings of the battery by coming up with a reliable battery that can give a relatively good range. For instance, Chrysler also intends to equip the vehicles with Electro-source Horizon batteries (Christensen, 1999). The batteries are believed to have the highest performance among the available batteries today. The success strategies can be seen it the design where the vehicle has been designed to have an electric option from day one. The government may also put in place progressive programs to assist Singaporeans who do driving for a living to acquire new skills in the AV world. It will help address the issue of massive loss of jobs that may be brought about by the implementation of Driverless cars.
Reference
Ajanovic, A. (2015). The future of electric vehicles: prospects and impediments. Wiley Interdisciplinary Reviews: Energy and Environment, 4(6), 521-536. http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/wene.160
Christensen, C. (1999). Electric Vehicles: Pipe Dream or Product of the Future, 1(1), 3.
Liang, A. (2017). Driverless cars picking up speed in Singapore. Retrieved from https://www.imda.gov.sg/infocomm-and-media-news/whats-trending/2017/2/driverless-cars-picking-up-speed-in-singapore
LIM, A. (2017). “Driverless vehicle rides in three new towns from 2022.” The Straits Times. Retrieved 1 February 2018, from http://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/transport/driverless-vehicle-rides-in-three-new-towns-from-2022
Yong, J. (2017). Can driverless cars survive Singaporean road users?. Deputy News Editor.