A shift toward collaborative consumption across industries?

As we discussed last week about innovation in transportation, we're seeing a shift in personal consumption to "collaborative consumption." Most of us are familiar with Zipcar which allows for renting a car by the hour instead of owning. Using public transportation is also important in many cities. How will the automobile industry change over the next decade with a focus on renewable energy, decreased consumption, and a transformation in personal transportation? How will companies like Ford and GM compete with Zipcar?

There are 80 million Generation Y'ers that are changing the way the U.S. views personal consumption of goods, and transportation is an example. Why own a car if its cheaper to rent, more convenient, and possibly more sustainable?

Having access to goods might be better than ownership. It also might be more affordable. Environmental concerns have shifted our focus to finding new ways of creating consumption with different resources. Companies like Ford and GM will have to create new strategies for consumers that want to share instead of own. GE and PPG might have to revamp strategies for a paradigm change in sharing consumption of consumer goods instead of ownership. As we continue into the 21st century, I'm interested in seeing how we change from hyper-consumption to collaborative consumption across virtually every industry.