Audi has recognized the challenges of offering roadside assistance to stranded drivers and developed two innovative solutions to make helping others safer and more practical.
In today’s fast-paced world, it often feels like no one has the time or energy to deal with someone else’s problems. People are consumed by their own battles and daily pressures, making acts of kindness seem like an unwelcome burden. When it comes to aiding stranded drivers, additional concerns, such as personal safety and convenience, further deter people from stepping in. Audi’s forward-thinking ideas aim to address these barriers, encouraging a culture of support while prioritizing safety and simplicity.
Audi Encourages Acts of Kindness Through Innovative Technology
The first patent works with smartphones and other devices, including the car itself, to allow a stranded motorist to upload their location and other data to a server. This would connect the person seeking help with those willing to provide it. If the stricken motorist receives assistance from a respondent, that respondent is rewarded, either with points that could go toward certain other programs, discounts on unlockable software features or other items, or even additional features directly.
Similarly, Audi’s second patent is future-focused and communal. In this system, the idea is to provide ride-sharing services to nearby people, with matches between drivers and riders made based on location and desired destination. Again, those who provide rides would be rewarded, potentially using a points system. Like the first patent, this aims to make the most of society’s good nature.
Audi Incentivizes Assistance with Exclusive Benefits
Imagine being rewarded for helping someone charge their EV on the side of the road with free heated seats for the first month of winter, or a temporary range boost, or a month’s subscription to an in-car streaming service. Another potential reward is giving such respondents priority if they find themselves in a similar scenario someday. This could apply to the ride-sharing system, too. If you’ve been giving nearby strangers assistance in New York, perhaps you can get better rides when you’re on holiday in LA.
As for the safety issue, advanced authentication processes could keep the service limited to only certain people, such as verified Audi customers. Much like Uber, people using these systems could rate each other, and in-car cameras – already starting to appear in contemporary cars – could keep an eye on things.
The possibilities are endless, and since the industry is already accelerating toward software-defined vehicles, more ideas like these will be surely come to light.
