The world of Auto Repair has really taken off since the Ford Model T became the first mass-market automobile in the world in 1908. With its arrival came the need for auto repair shops and auto mechanics, and the rest is history. Since then, the face of auto repair has continued to evolve. From power steering to heated seats, we thought we’d seen it all until the driverless car finally became a reality in the sixties.
Driverless cars may be a relatively new reality, but the concept has been around for quite a while, even Leonardo Da Vinci was sketching self-driving carts as far back as the 1400s. However, despite all this, the evolution of the self-driving car has been a relatively slow one. But why? Perhaps the impact of this change on the Auto industry, in particular, the Auto Repair sector has impacted this. So how exactly could self-driving cars change the future of auto repair?
- Fewer accidents = Fewer repair shops
According to Elon Musk, a Tesla on Autopilot is ten times less likely to crash than an average automobile. While this claim has come under fierce scrutiny, it is true that around 90% of road accidents are due to driver error. So what’s the impact on auto repair shops? Could this mean the end of auto electricians as we know it? The answer is quite possibly.
Business consultancy McKinsey has crunched the numbers and estimates that, in the US, the average annual cost of road accidents in 2012 was $212 billion. If we are to take Musk’s claims seriously, this number could fall to around $22 billion, having a devastating impact on the auto repair industry.
Not only would the demand for auto repairs drop dramatically, but the type of repairs could also change too. In the not-too-distant future, many expect to see driverless cars driving themselves to auto repair shops and actually informing technicians of the system updates they need or maybe even requesting remote system reboots. Auto electricians in the next decade could find themselves in a very different type of classroom with AI machine learning instead of wrenches, and a graduate degree instead of a mechanics certificate.
- Say goodbye to privately owned cars and insurance
Another huge impact on the auto repair industry is the potential change in how automobiles are used. With the increased popularity of shared cars and self-driving cars, the need to privately own an automobile is beginning to dwindle. Many researchers expect to see the number of car-owners fall dramatically in the next few decades. So what about insurance? If self-driving cars are manufactured by tech giants such as Google, we could also be looking at the end of car insurance as we know it with these big companies going down the route of self-insurance. Real-time insurance policies based on the individual’s profile and risk level are looking more and more likely as we enter this new age of automobiles. Missed out on your morning coffee? Your future car might just be able to tell that you’re drowsy and adjust your insurance accordingly.
3) The MaaS boom is set to continue
As with most things in life, while some of the demand for auto repairs may reduce, other demands will pop up. If driverless cars really do become our future, a whole new ecosystem will come into existence. Just as we saw with the explosion of the internet, new ecosystems lead to the emergence of new jobs, industries, and platforms. Mobility as a Service is likely to be the next big boom. We have already seen a giant increase in ride-sharing services on the market, and as this popularity continues to increase, new systems will come into place. We can expect to see more apps and on-demand rental services, and with that more jobs in the MaaS market around maintenance, platform control, and much more.
Key takeaways
There’s no doubt that the auto repair industry is set to evolve even more dramatically in the coming years and will need to embrace these changes. However, in spite of this, some things will most likely stay the same. Maintenance and good quality electrics will remain essential even with driverless cars. As climate conditions continue to change and cars become more accessible to the masses, auto repairs will have to keep adapting to current needs. Auto repairs will elevate as automobiles become more like machines and high-quality electrics and materials will be key.
Maintenance and good quality electrics will remain essential even with driverless cars says Xtreme Car Audio. No matter how the face of automobiles and auto repairs changes, this outlook is likely to stay the same.
