Their promoters claim these technologies will radically alter the way our society works and perceives itself. Just like in earlier eras, the steam engine ushered in the industrial revolution, and the motor car changed transportation and opened up the suburban lifestyle. Therefore, a look back at the time when today's old tech was still new and exciting can offer lessons on what changes to expect from our generation's novelties.
The relative number of horses in the Habsburg crown land of Carniola (which covered much of today's Slovenia) shows that new technologies are slow to displace established. In many cases, the old ways of doing things continue to grow alongside the new. Yet these figures also illustrate how far our standard of living has advanced. Today, car ownership is commonplace, while only a minority could afford horses. Also, the widespread use of cars did not completely eliminate the ownership of animals.
| Year | Horses (Carniola) | Horses (Slovenia) | Passenger cars (Slovenia) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1890 | 4.8 | - | - |
| 1900 | 4.9 | - | - |
| 1910 | 5.2 | - | - |
| 2010 | - | 0.0029 | 51.8 |
| 2020 | - | 0.0025 | 55.5 |
| 2024 | - | - | 58.7 |
Source: Osterreichisches statistisches Handbuch fur die im Reichsrathe vertretenen Konigreiche und Lander (editions for 1900, 1901, and 1910); Statistical Office of the Republic of Slovenia
The second table, drawn from an 1897 public lecture by the Austrian car pioneer Ludwig Lohner (1858-1925), illustrates the main impetus for growing car adoption. It was not merely the thrill, speed, or cleanliness (no manure) that attracted buyers. Early motor vehicles offered a better deal. Still, in its early forms, the car was a plaything of the super-wealthy, just like the horse-drawn carriages it would eventually replace.
| Carriage | Motor car | |
|---|---|---|
| Up-front costs | ||
| 2 mid-priced horses | 1200 | - |
| 2 pairs of harnesses, winter and summer blankets, stable equipment | 500 | - |
| 2 carriages (e.g. Coupe & Mylord) | 1800 | - |
| Coachman's livery | 100 | - |
| Third (spare) horse | 600 | - |
| Vehicle cost | - | 3500 |
| Car body for the winter | - | 700 |
| Chauffeur's uniform | - | 100 |
| Annual costs | ||
| Stable for 2 horses, carriage house for 2 carriages, feed storage | 400 | - |
| Oats, hay, and straw for 2 horses | 750 | - |
| Coachman's salary | 728 | - |
| Garaging | - | 120 |
| Chauffeur's salary | - | 780 |
| Variable costs | ||
| Petrol for 40 km per day | - | 365 |
| Repairs | 450 | 450 |
| Horseshoeing for 2 horses | 120 | - |
| Veterinarian | 20 | - |
| Clipping for two horses, twice | 20 | - |
| Amortisation over 2, 5, and 12 years | 540 | - |
| Amortisation over 2 and 10 years | - | 470 |
| Upkeep and costs for the spare horse | 600 | - |
| Total | 7828 | 6485 |
Source: Mahrisches Gewerbe-Blatt, vol. XIX (1897): 41-45