Looking for Opportunities for Sustainable 'Smart' Mobility: The Case of Self Driving Cars vs. 'Ride Sharing'

Abstract: Sweden is aiming for a sustainable development through achieving the Sustainable Development Goals by 2030. To do so, new mobility habits among Sweden’s inhabitants must be realized; public transport and car sharing have to be prioritised over private car ownership in which people travel alone. As the Swedish government aims to meet these needs, the commercialisation of autonomous vehicles is awaited along with digitalisation. Digitalisation cross-bread with a roll out of self driving cars is by some expected to boost the roll out of Mobility as a Service in the shape of a door to door solution within transportation. This can potentially create a decline of today’s ride sharing services, largely made up by the mass transit-system and ride-pooling. The use of mass transit systems and large pooled rides has the biggest potential to reduce congestion and CO2-emissions or energy use per traveller, provided the passengers are going in the same direction. As a self driving door to door solution can cause shifts in the demand for transportation, this study aims to understand the pathway needed to make ride sharing the preferred choice of motorised transportation among travellers in urban areas in Sweden by 2030 – in the light of the potential Self Driving door to door roll out, as well as the achievement of the SDGs. To meet the aim, the transition theory Multi-Level Perspective and Strategic Niche Management is used, together with semi-structures interviews with central stakeholders of ride sharing. The result shows that mobilisation processes through communication, envisioning and education are needed, together with innovation promoting sustainable behaviours, such as digital means for a faster democratic process. With regards to innovation processes, the result shows that the use of interdisciplinarity and promotion of perspectives deriving from the humanities within in learning and envisioning practices in Sweden are needed. Both within the Swedish educational system, but also at conferences. The results also show a need for economic schemes and steering policies for the promotion of ride sharing.