The automotive industry as we know it is about to change dramatically, but will there be a place for the classic gearhead in the future? If so, it probably won’t be Finland.
While various governments across Europe announced their intention to ban fossil fuel-based vehicles from being sold in the near future (Germany allowing only emissions free cars to be registered as of 2030), Finland is taking the matter even further, with an audacious goal to eliminate the need of private cars in Helsinki by 2025.
According to Co.Exist, the plan is to combine public and private transport providers so citizens can assemble the fastest or cheapest mode of travel.
As Sonja Heikkilä, a transportation engineer with the Helsinki government puts i, “The city’s role is to enable that market to emerge.”
Moreover, the entire system will be automated, with planning and payment being accessible through mobile devices. This will allow citizens to use their smartphones to arrange a rideshare, an automated car, special transport for children or an on-demand bus.
This would allow dynamic bus routes that will change based on demand at any given moment, as the plan is to turn the infrastructure dedicated to personal transport and reverse it to revolve around “digitally enabled individual mobility”, moving each traveler from point A to point B as quickly as possible. If this comes to pass, there won’t be a need for driving licenses anymore; everyone will be a passenger…
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