TODAY’S NEWS. TOMORROW’S INSIGHTS.A daily newsletter from McKinsey & Company
Brought to you by Liz Hilton Segel, chief client officer and managing partner, global industry practices, & Homayoun Hatami, managing partner, global client capabilities
Down in the data dumps. Self-driving cars accumulate heaps of data with every trip, from interior and exterior video feeds to GPS location and vehicle component diagnostics. In the past, manufacturers stored every byte just in case it could come in handy later on. But the cost to store that data has become astronomical: as much as $350,000 per year for a single vehicle, according to one tech company’s estimate. Many companies are reining in their storage costs by focusing on more useful data, like information that helps cars navigate in the snow or identify obstacles in the road. [Wired]
Eager for e-bikes. The pandemic gave the burgeoning e-bike industry a big bump, with retail sales topping $885 million in 2022, up from $240 million in 2019, one market-research firm finds. The variety of models, from folding bikes to mopeds, makes it easier for people to replace car trips with e-bike trips—especially since they give a boost on hills and can deliver riders to their destination faster than a traditional bicycle. More than 50% of all daily trips in the US are less than three miles, US government data shows. Shorter commutes are easier to complete on a bike, so that’s more potential good news for the environment. [Business Insider]
Riding into the future. An annual survey conducted by the McKinsey Center for Future Mobility examines four mobility trends across the world, from shared mobility to autonomous driving. According to McKinsey partner Kersten Heineke and colleagues, results from 2022 show a willingness on the part of consumers to change their transportation habits. Moving away from private-car use—which contributes to road congestion and increased carbon emissions—and toward shared mobility could create a more seamless and sustainable mobility ecosystem.
Global mobility trends. Cities and countries worldwide are adapting measures to curb private-car use, including increasing awareness about greenhouse-gas emissions, limiting the number of private vehicles in cities, and providing financial incentives to use greener modes of transit—such as shared vehicles and micromobility. Consumers who live in urban areas can spur the greatest change due to increased access to new transportation modes. Learn more about the new trends and technologies that could transform the transportation sector.
— Edited by Gwyn Herbein, editor, Atlanta
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