From watching the Jetson’s many years ago, those of us who grew up in the eighties believed that we’d forego grounded vehicles to fly around in jetpacks or car-like airplanes without the boundaries or hassles of roads and traffic.
While that space-age view still seems decades away, advances in automobile technology have brought us the real possibility of driverless cars in the not so distant future. Urban centers such as New York City and San Francisco have already dipped a toe into the driverless vehicle space and many more are likely to do so in the years to come.
This rising trend has consumers and experts alike discussing topics like driver and passenger safety as well as employment concerns for those folks who make a living carrying goods and people from one destination to another. Yet one topic that has been largely overlooked is: How will driverless automobiles affect mechanics and auto repair shops around the country?
Will Driverless Cars Be a Boon or Bust for Auto Repair Shops?
Like any technologically driven rising trend, the experts see both positives and negatives for what driverless cars would mean for automotive repair shops. Some see it as a boon for the industry while others see it as the industry’s demise. Like most such arguments, the truth is probably somewhere in the middle.
Those who believe driverless cars will fuel torque-powered growth for auto repair shops support the opinion that automation and quick adoption will be the keys to success in this evolving sector. Without actual people driving the cars, automated maintenance systems set up in the cars will alert the vehicle’s intelligence system that an oil change, cooling system flush or brake repair is necessary.
Without Human Meddling, Cars Will Get Auto Repair Precisely When Needed
Such automated systems will “drive the car itself” to the nearest auto repair shop for the proper oil change, cooling system repair or brake repair. BMWs, Audis, and Volkswagens will drive themselves to independent or manufacturer-based auto repair shops respectively and the repair will be performed without the interference and fickleness of the human driver. Such auto repair shops will have pre-set agreements with these cars’ operators as to where they will go for required BMWs, Audis, and Volkswagen auto repair.
Some industry experts believe this will absolutely be a boon for auto repair shops as human delay and procrastination, whether from lack of funds, inconvenience, or “just forgetting” are all common excuses reasons people fail to have automotive repair or maintenance performed when they should. Remove the unreliability of humans from the equation and driverless cars will get their own maintenance and repair and run as optimally as possible, according to one automotive trends expert.
The Critics Believe Driverless Cars Will Bankrupt Auto Repair Shops
However, those authorities on the other side of this argument say cars that drive themselves will drive auto repair shops right out of business. Why? Without human drivers, vehicles will be driven more safely and with fewer accidents than ever before. As such, collision auto repair shops will go out of business as there will be few to no accidents and thus no need for shops that perform automotive repairs because of accidents.
In addition, the experts in the gloom and doom camp believe that not only will these smart, self-driving cars drive themselves, they will also repair themselves. With so many computerized sensors, gadgets and tools, these vehicles of the future will detect and diagnose their own problems and will be able to repair themselves with little to no assistance from actual human mechanics.
Some technicians may be needed to perform some of the jobs like adding new oil for an oil change. However, the role of this technician will be different in that the car will tell the mechanic what it needs and the mechanic will perform the task. In short, this camp of experts believes that cars will be both self-driving and self-repairing (minus a bit of support, oversight and coordination). Thusly, auto repair shops will still exist as service centers but roles of mechanics will be very different than today.
Staying Current on Auto Repair Trends Is Essential
Between these two extreme auto repair utopia and dystopia outlooks, the only prediction you can be sure of is that for auto repair shops in San Diego to remain successful, they and their mechanics will have to stay current on all the auto repair and maintenance trends. This means mechanics will have to learn how to perform auto repair on these driverless cars.
In addition they will have to figure out all their diagnostic capabilities, sensors and technologies. If auto repair technicians keep their skills up and shop owners adopt their business model to embrace rather than eschew these new cars, their mechanical skills will likely be needed for years to come.
