Dream, adjusted

The two years between the World Cup and the Rio Olympic Games must mark a turning point for mobility in Brazil, but it's far from certain, which solutions will shape the country's future. Efforts are under way to extend the skinny metro systems that have been dwarfed by Brazilian cities' growth; there is strong hope that a network of dedicated bike paths could encircle Rio by 2016; and innovative initiatives such as Rio's Colombia-inspired cable car and Curitiba's Bus Rapid Transit are already in development. However, for the many years while such infrastructure improvements remain work in progress, Brazilians will be left to develop their own means of beating the mobility gridlock. And the longer a decent public transportation system takes to emerge, the more embedded these solutions will become as the preferred means of getting around.

At a time when travel by road is increasingly frustrating, it might seem strange that these solutions remain focussed on cars and car ownership. However, owning a car remains an aspiration for the vast majority of urban Brazilians. The car remains a dream of consumption for Brazilians, whether they can afford to fulfil that dream or not.

Yet just as important in Brazil's current mobility state is the fact that a private vehicle represents sacred personal space among turbulent city streets; it's a space where climate can be controlled through air conditioning, personal music can be played, phone calls can be made in private and work can be done, even when one's arrival at the office is delayed. Brazilian streets can be unsafe; crime is a constant worry, and the environment of the car provides a sanctuary from this as well.

If they are to maintain their position at the heart of mobility in Brazil, carmakers must be as innovative as the app-wielding drivers and 'Carona' car sharers driving their vehicles. They must respond to the deep motivations that draw people to cars, while acknowledging that the reality of using them will be far from the dream of cruising down open highways. At a time when their cars are as likely to be stationary in traffic as they are to be moving, the in-car experience becomes hugely significant to the decision whether to buy a new vehicle or not. Air-conditioning, sound systems, seamless integration with apps and mobile devices, USB chargers and wi-fi: these are no longer premium features and options; they will be increasingly essential to making the experience of car ownership add up for the vast majority of auto buyers.

The author is Isabelle Rio-Lopes of TNS' Automotive practice. Re-printed with permission. Link:
http://blogs.tnsglobal.com/tns_automotive/2014/07/dream-adjusted.html