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In Jaguar’s Future The Steering Wheel is the Only Part of The Car You Own

In Jaguar’s Future The Steering Wheel is the Only Part of The Car You Own

For a long time companies have been moving further away from vehicle ownership and closer toward leasing.

And within the current political and economic environment, the benefits of leasing are becoming much harder to ignore — whether they be financial, environmental, or to do with time and efficiency.

So vehicle leasing is clearly in its prime. But what comes next? For that, we can look to where industry experts and leading car manufacturers — and the odd billionaire tech mogul — are putting their focus and money.

You don’t have to look very hard to see the next step in transportation is autonomous technology.

For a company running a small fleet of vehicles, autonomous vehicles could mean decreased labour and maintenance/repair costs, increased safety, and greater employee satisfaction.

For big companies running a slew of vehicles, switching to autonomous vehicles could mean cutting their fleet down by as much as half while still saving time and boosting productivity.

And all the while the only really noticeable change — apart from being able to work or lounge during a commute — would be fewer vehicles sat idle in driveways and parking lots.

But for some companies, the idea of shared ownership will be enough to dismiss the many benefits of an autonomous fleet. The fact is, there’s nothing like having your own personal vehicle waiting at the door, ready to take you to whatever meeting you need to go to and at whatever hour. It’s difficult enough for some to know their car is a lease, never mind that it’s being used by others and may not be available when they need it.

Recently, as part of it’s 2040 ‘Future Type’ project, Jaguar announced a method of tackling this barrier to adoption, by introducing the world’s first portable, voice-activated, artificially intelligent steering wheel.

Sayar: The AI Steering Wheel That Talks To You

“Imagine a future of autonomous, connected and electric cars where you don’t own a single car, but instead call upon the vehicle of your choice where and when you need it. That’s a future vision Jaguar Land Rover is exploring with Sayer, the connected steering wheel that could be the only part of the car you own.” — Jaguar

Sayar, Jaguar’s portable chauffeur-come-assistant, connects drivers up to the internet and a fleet of vehicles patrolling the roads. Jaguar envisions drivers using Sayar from the comfort of their own home, planning everything from their route to the destination to when a car can arrive at their door. When a vehicle arrives, drivers would take Sayar with them and, according to Jaguar’s press release, Sayar would, “Advise which parts of the journey you might enjoy driving yourself”.

Jaguar describes how the device would be a part of an on-demand service club, to which drivers would sign up for and become part of a network of shared vehicles. Such a system would work well for a company fleet, the vehicles adapting and redirecting according to the needs and schedules of its drivers.

Although it’s not realistic to carry a steering wheel around with you on business trips, Sayar does offer a glimpse into the future of how autonomous technology could integrate with company fleets.

Developed as a concept for their future vision, Sayar may never see commercial production. But the technology and notion of a shared-vehicle service club are already making their way to our streets.

If you’d like to find out more about car leasing or our other company fleet services, leave us a comment or send us a message via our contact page.

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Marshall Leasing is a trading division of N.I.I.B. Group Ltd a company registered in Northern Ireland under company NI3721, whose registered office is situated at 1 Donegal Square South, BELFAST, BT1 5LR. N.I.I.B. Group Limited is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority