Quote:
Originally Posted by Rick Brooklyn
I hope you're right, but imagine if the day comes when not only gas costs a lot but stations are 50 miles apart. When self driving cars are equipped with radar and cameras and function as an extension of police gear. Or God forbid when they outlaw normal cars from public roads altogether and you have to summon a self driving truck and load your car and get transported to a track (often a puny 1.5 mile long or so, packed with other cars, and it's a two hour trip just to get there) and spend a whole day out only to drive your car one hour or maybe 90 minutes... I think other scenarios could also play out, but that one seems to be the baseline expectation for many commenters.
The comparison with horses is apt but depressing. Oop here in the norf-east, like Rawknees would say, only very wealthy people with incomes deep in the 7 digits can afford what they call "equestrian properties".
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I know this is getting off topic, but it is a interesting point you bring up that does relate to the future value of these cars.
I think you out line the worst case future, and as Matt pointed out is it going on now in some places.
But that is the key, in some places.
I think the way it will unfold is the way it is unfolding now. Some cites will out law older cars (happening in Paris) or charge a fee to drive a car into them (London) some cities will out law private autos altogether.
There will be a patch work of unfriendly to car places and where they are even outlawed altogether like your scenario.
But like the expensive ownership of horses back East with the few places to ride them, out West they are not that hard are expensive to own and there are a lot of places to ride them, even in the city of Tucson where I am people will ride horses.
Gas powered old cars will be the same way, not accepted every where and even outlawed in some places but I believe there will always be car friendly places in the future to own and drive them around.
The future will be a patch work of laws and rules and acceptability from one city to another and State to State and country to country just like it is today.