This story was delivered to BI Intelligence Apps and Platforms Briefingsubscribers. To learn more and subscribe, please click here.Uber has just introduced a web app that will allow smartphone users in India to request a car without needing to download its app, according to Business Standard.The move will open up Ubers service to customers who cant afford the high data costs, processing demands, and added storage space of smartphone apps.The move will also help Uber one-up rival car service Ola. The two companies have been waging a price war in order to convince locals to use their services over the less expensive rickshaws. However, early on, Ola scrapped its web portal in favor of building an app. Ubers addition of the web service will give it a leg-up in the competition.This is because a majority of smartphones in India cost less than $150 (Rs 10,000). While these devices make it possible for low-income users in emerging markets to access the web, they often come with vastly limited storage space, according to The Next Web.Because of this, the mobile web, not apps, are the primary point of access to internet services. The average smartphone user in India has just 32 apps on their handset, far below the global average of 42 apps.Uber is also betting heavily on self-driving cars, as the company has announced it will offer free rides in fully autonomous vehicles later this month. CEO Travis Kalanick even went as far as to say that he "can't be wrong" about his company's bet on these types of vehicles.But self-driving cars have several barriers to mass adoption, and various tech and automobile companies are working to clear those hurdles.John Greenough, senior research analyst for BI Intelligence, Business Insider's premium research service, has compiled a detailed report on self-driving cars that examines the major strides automakers and tech companies have made to overcome the barriers currently preventing fully autonomous cars from hitting the market. Further, the report examines global survey results showing where fully autonomous cars are highly desired.Here are some key takeaways from the report:Three barriers have been preventing fully autonomous cars from hitting the road: 1) high technological component prices; 2) varying degrees of consumer trust in the technology; and 3) relatively nonexistent regulations. However, in the past six months, there have been many advances in overcoming these barriers.Technology has been improving as new market entrants find innovative ways to expand on existing fully autonomous car technology. As a result, the price of the components required for fully autonomous cars has been dropping.Consumer trust in fully autonomous vehicle technology has increased in the past two years.California became the first US state to propose regulations. California's regulations stipulate that a fully autonomous car must have a driver behind the wheel at all times, discouraging Google's and Uber's idea of a driverless taxi system.In full, the report:Examines consumer trust in fully autonomous vehiclesIdentifies technological advancements that have been made in the industryAnalyzes the cost of fully autonomous technology and identifies how cost is being reducedExplains the current regulations surrounding fully autonomous carsTo get your copy of this invaluable guide, choose one of these options:Subscribe to an ALL-ACCESS Membership with BI Intelligence and gain immediate access to this report AND over 100 other expertly researched deep-dive reports, subscriptions to all of our daily newsletters, and much more. >> START A MEMBERSHIPPurchase the report and download it immediately from our research store. >> BUY THE REPORTThe choice is yours. But however you decide to acquire this report, youve given yourself a powerful advantage in your understanding of the emerging world of self-driving cars.Join the conversation about this story
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