Aug 23, 2019 - Technology

How the future of mobility could impact the environment

Adapted from Rocky Mountain Institute; Chart: Axios Visuals
Adapted from Rocky Mountain Institute; Chart: Axios Visuals

The overlapping rise of electric vehicles, autonomous tech and ride-hailing in India, China and the U.S. must be managed correctly to ensure these disruptive forces better the environment and don't worsen congestion, a new Rocky Mountain Institute report argues.

What they found: The U.S. could learn from China's aggressive national EV adoption policies, and specifically India's targeting of high-mileage commercial vehicles for electrification.

  • India can look to experiences in the U.S. and China in testing autonomous vehicles if the country revisits laws that prohibit testing.
  • "US ridehailing companies can borrow from China an integrated ride booking system that incorporates public transit and bikeshare as part of a multimodal journey."

The bottom line: "Ensuring that rides in autonomous vehicles are both electrified and pooled can mitigate these congestion and pollution issues and provide reliable, low-cost mobility for a rapidly urbanizing society."

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