The Mobility-as-a-Service (MaaS) tipping point is when self-driving electric taxis (EV taxis) become more common than traditional, individually-owned vehicles worldwide. This big change happens because of advancements in technology, supportive laws, and a shift in consumer preferences towards shared, eco-friendly transport options. It represents a major shift in how cities manage energy and reduce carbon emissions, leading to cleaner urban environments.
The switch from gas engine vehicles to EVs is called the “EV tipping point.” This is when EV taxis outnumber individually-owned vehicles globally. This change also makes cities more efficient by reducing the need for parking spaces and decreasing traffic congestion. According to the TST Futurism Timeline, this is expected to happen around 2040.
If you invest in the stock market, thinking about these future trends can be important. Anticipating changes like the MaaS tipping point can help guide investment decisions in the coming decades.
To learn more, take a few minutes and explore the Futurism timeline, take the deep dive: TST Futurism Timeline.
2 thoughts on “What is the MaaS tipping point?”
Many interesting thoughts…
1) Into the 1980s “taxis/jeepneys” outnumbered individually-owned vehicles. And correct, it reduced the need for parking and was economical, sharing cost with a dozen other riders. Since then the trend has been to own a car.
a) When EV-taxis are single occupant, why would that decrease traffic congestion? Computer model might suggest it increases congestion due to the zero-passenger trips to the next rider.
2) The trend in California has been towards more filth, homeless, crime. What happens when your EV taxi shows up reeking of “homeless” and vandalized?
3) I don’t believe we’ll see large adoption of self-driving in 15 years. Driving is too complex. Humans can judge whether a car/driver is going to let you merge – or has a road-rage mentality. Humans use eye-contact to decide who goes when four-way stop arrival is a gray area.
4) MaaS sounds a bit like WEF Klaus “you will own nothing and be happy.”
5) Let’s see how California EV mandate for cars and trucks works out in the next five years: Currently people that buy EV’s tend to be upper-middleclass, at least having a garage with a charger capacity. But many people live in apartments without any parking – much less EV-charge parking. And people are getting fed up with the time it takes to charge e.g. to drive Sacramento to LA.
Hi Kim,
1a) You’re right to point out the “potential” for increased congestion with single-occupant EV-taxis, but with advanced algorithms optimizing routes, the goal is to reduce the overall number of cars on the road, even if the traffic patterns shift.
2) I get your concern about cleanliness and vandalism, but I think the system as a whole will take care of it. With a large fleet, if one taxi shows up in poor condition, you simply reject it, and another will be there in minutes. That “dirty” one heads off for a cleaning. People are willing to ride in semi-clean taxis now and I predict self-driving ones will be cleaner than taxis today.
3) As for the viability of self-driving, I know you’ve said that for a long time. I think it’s close, but if you really believe that than you should short Tesla immediately. Elon has promised it this year but the doubters think it will be next year. So, if there is a delay of even 5 years, Tesla stock will plummet.
4) Sure, let’s see how it unfolds!