Last week’s poll: changing patterns of car ownership

Last week we asked if personal vehicle ownership is set to decline, a question predicated by Toyota’s £500m investment into self-driving cars for Uber’s car-sharing network.

The agreement will see the initial development of a so-called Autono-MaaS (autonomous-mobility as a service) fleet based on the Toyota Sienna minivan, where Uber’s Autonomous Driving System and the Toyota Guardian automated safety support system will both be integrated into the Autono-MaaS vehicles.

At first glance, the deal appeared to lend credence to the belief that OEMs are preparing to adjust their business models to focus more on fleets rather than individual car buyers.

Commenting on the deal, Shigeki Tomoyama, executive vice president of Toyota Motor Company and president of Toyota Connected Company said: “This agreement and investment marks an important milestone in our transformation to a mobility company as we help provide a path for safe and secure expansion of mobility services like ride-sharing that includes Toyota vehicles and technologies.”