Uber, GM, Google & the Saudi Autonomous Mobility Revolution
Transport accounts for about 20% of global carbon emissions, but autonomous mobility holds the potential to reduce this.
Optimised travel routes and patterns, reduced vehicle production and improving public transport are just a few of the ways it could make a huge impact.
While autonomous technologies have come a long way, there are still hurdles to widespread implementation.
The World Economic Forum (WEF) has released a report looking at autonomous mobility in Saudi Arabia, acting as a regulatory sandbox for new systems.
Sebastian Buckup, Head of Network and Partnerships and Member of the Executive Committee at WEF, says: “As we navigate through the advancements of the 21st century, integrating autonomous mobility into our global transport systems stands out as a pivotal development.
“As the need for cohesive and innovative strategies is more pressing than ever, this white paper aims to offer a framework to support these efforts, with Saudi Arabia serving as a key case study.”
The financial potential of autonomous mobility
According to McKinsey, by 2035 autonomous driving could generate between US$300bn and US$400bn in annual revenue.
Vehicles that pilot themselves will reduce operational costs. An autonomous bus could be profitable with just 10% occupancy, compared to the 30% needed for a traditional bus.
A shift to autonomous mobility is likely to accelerate the transition away from individual vehicle ownership, offering new opportunities for infrastructure.
Some estimates suggest that shared autonomous vehicle (AV) services could capture 35% of the total auto market.
The WEF’s report
The WEF’s report offers a four-step framework for accelerating the deployment of autonomous mobility:
- Regulatory sandbox development
- Pilot selection
- Pilot implementation
- Scaling
Basma AlBuhairan, Managing Director at the Centre for the Fourth Industrial Revolution, says: “The framework proposed in this paper seeks to address these challenges through a unified approach, integrating regulatory sandboxes with autonomous mobility testing environments and including a feedback loop.
“This will help create a seamless connection between regulation and deployment, fostering collaboration and minimising redundancy, such as duplicated autonomous testing efforts and inefficient use of resources.”
How Saudi Arabia is pioneering autonomous mobility
Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 plan aims to boost the country’s society and economy alongside becoming more sustainable.
Saudi Arabia’s journey towards autonomous mobility, rooted in this plan, serves as a case study for how a national regulatory sandbox can accelerate autonomous mobility.
Sebastian explains: “Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 is a bold and ambitious strategy designed to diversify the nation’s economy and elevate the public service sectors, with a significant emphasis on transport infrastructure.
“The Vision’s detailed strategies, including the National Transport and Logistics Strategy (NTLS) and the Autonomous Mobility Strategy (AMS), aim to position Saudi Arabia as a global logistics hub and a leader in autonomous mobility”
The country aims to develop a robust regulatory framework to implement AVs as part of this plan, addressing key aspects such as safety standards, liability issues, cybersecurity requirements and infrastructure needs
Saudi Arabia is investing in research and development centres and forming partnerships with automotive companies to support AV implementation and foster local innovation.
Current implementation of autonomous mobility
Waymo, an autonomous taxi service owned by Alphabet, operates in the US in parts of Phoenix, San Francisco and Los Angeles.
Jeffrey Tumlin, Director of the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency, says: “For every new mobility technology that we are pitched in San Francisco, including autonomous vehicles, we ask companies how their tech helps improve our accessibility, safety, inclusivity and decarbonisation goals.”
General Motors’ Cruise has agreed to supply robotaxis for ride-hailing giant Uber from 2025, putting AVs into the mainstream.
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