Adrian J Cotterill, Editor-in-Chief
Lyft’s John Zimmer, co-founder and president, will address 600 policymakers, top technologists and entrepreneurs at the #CES2018 Leaders in Technology (LIT) dinner on Jan. 10. He will sit down with Gary Shapiro, president and CEO, Consumer Technology Association (CTA), to discuss Lyft’s vision for the future and the road ahead for the transportation industry.
Gary Shapiro said “John is a passionate innovator who is committed to making life easier, safer and more reliable on the roads. He is relentlessly pursuing innovation in the transportation industry and is now actively researching a future that may include autonomous vehicles as part of its business model. John and the entire Lyft team have worked to improve people’s lives by creating affordable and sustainable transportation in cities that are more affordable and sustainable, and built around people – not cars.”
Zimmer’s interest in transportation began at Cornell University where he learned that cars remain parked 96 percent of the time and when used, only 20 percent of seats are occupied. In 2008, Zimmer left New York for San Francisco to join co-founder Logan Green to launch Zimride, a long-distance ridesharing company with the goal of creating a more social, sustainable and affordable transportation system. Lyft was born in 2012 out of Zimride and strives to improve lives with the world’s best transportation. Available to 95 percent of the U.S. population and providing more than 1 million rides a day, Lyft provides drivers and passengers a safe and friendly experience, and is committed to creating positive change for the future of our cities. Since unveiling Lyft in June 2012, the company has become one of the fastest-growing businesses in the U.S. and has raised more than $3.6 billion from leading investors that include: CapitalG (Alphabet), General Motors, Andreessen Horowitz, KKR, Founders Fund, Janus Capital, Didi Kuaidi, Rakuten and Baillie Gifford.
At the LIT dinner, Zimmer will explore America’s third transportation revolution and how the upcoming shift from car ownership to transportation as a service will shape the future of our cities and communities. The introduction and widespread adoption of networked autonomous vehicles will be addressed, along with a forecast for ending U.S. car ownership in major cities and the changes in how cities are built.
Lyft’s John Zimmer said “Ridesharing has already begun to empower many people to live without owning a car but even if you don’t care about cars - even if you never step into a Lyft or an autonomous vehicle - the changes brought about by autonomous vehicles are going to transform your life. Transportation doesn’t just impact how we get from place to place; it shapes what those places look like, and the lives of the people who live there.”
According to CTA’s Self-Driving Vehicles: Consumer Sentiments, most consumers are excited about the benefits of self-driving vehicles and almost two-thirds want to swap their current cars for completely self-driving vehicles. CES 2018 will showcase the automotive industry on the verge of a revolution and vehicle tech making cars safer and drivers more connected. There will be more than 150 vehicle technology exhibitors spanning more than 280,000 net square feet of exhibit space at CES 2018.
The Leaders in Technology Program at CES allows high-level public policymakers and technologists to learn from more than 3,900 exhibitors and see thousands of new products that contribute to the $321 billion U.S. consumer electronics industry. The program also provides information and insight to assist officials in evaluating federal policies that affect the consumer technology industry. For more information on the Leaders in Technology Program, please contact Laura Hudson at lhudson@CTA.tech or 703-907-7604.
Owned and produced by CTA, CES2018 will run January 9-12, 2018, in Las Vegas, Nevada. #CES2018 is the global stage for innovation and will span more than 2.5 million net square feet of exhibit space and feature more than 3,900 exhibiting companies unveiling technologies, products and services that touch every industry.
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