One of the biggest topics in tech over the last year or so has been the advent of self-driving cars. Though we haven’t seen widespread adoption — that’s likely years away — many companies, most ambitiously Tesla, have implemented technology into their cars (Model S) that enables drivers to remove their hands from the wheels.
The implications are potentially monumental.
What will the roads of the future look like?
How will we use the extra time we’re afforded if we needn’t worry about driving to work every day?
And, for us in marketing, what role will digital marketing play in this new world?
In my latest piece on TechCrunch, Marketing in the Fast Lane With Self-Driving Cars, I take a look at how marketers can connect in new ways with with these, if not necessarily new, now hands-free audiences.
Though we can’t be sure how exactly the self-driving industry will play out (Elon Musk predicts all cars will function autonomously in 15-20 years), we can prepare ourselves, our organizations, and our marketing plans so that we’re best positioned to be at the fore of brand marketing of the future.
[pull_quote_center]”All cars will go fully autonomous in the long-term”[/pull_quote_center]
— Elon Musk
As I noted in the article, “Cars will not be just a mode of transportation, but an extension of the individual inside.”
Tesla and Self-Driving Technology
January 2016 – announces “Summon” which allows Tesla owners to summon their cars (and to also automatically park them in the garage when arriving home)
October 2015 – releases Tesla 7.0 software featuring “Autopilot” with: Autosteer, Auto Lane Change, Automatic Emergency Steering and Side Collision Warning, and Autopark
October 2014 – introduces forward radar, cameras, long-range sensors, computer-assisted braking
More: What it feels like to drive a Tesla on autopilot
Tesla and Self-Driving Technology
Personally, I know I sure could take advantage of the extra few hours every day that a self-driving car would afford me… sure, maybe a quick nap would be nice, but so too would be catching up on those must-read books on my reading lists, or the latest Stark Insider video (of course!), or just simply to reflect on what an amazing time it is to be here in Silicon Valley during this time of unprecedented innovation.
Indeed:
Any sufficiently advanced technology is equivalent to magic.
— Arthur C. Clarke
Click on through to my TechCrunch article here.