Status symbols are inherently generated from scarcity.

…and scarcity is an easily manipulated quality. If all the "mutually owned cars" in Phoenix are painted white to reduce cooling, a red car is "scarce" and therefore a status symbol.

The point with a distributed autonomous system of driverless vehicles of any and all kinds... is that we essentially increase safety, decrease cost, and improve efficiency for everyone.

That's an allegation, not a given. In fact, your article argues that miles driven goes up radically. "Cost" is not an easy one to pin down, either - if I can afford a $50k car but my taxes are subsidizing a $10k "public" car, my costs have gone up pretty radically. And I vote.

Will there be a radical shift in our culture towards relying on autonomous self-driving cars? Undoubtedly, and this will start to change notion of ownership.

Automatic transmissions became common options in vehicles in 1954. Stick shifts remain common. Self-parking became available in 2003. It's still a rarity ten years later. In 1969, the NTSB argued that seat belts should be mandatory. The first seat belt law went into effect in 1986. You say these things, but you have no evidence.

At one point in the history of humanity, having a man-made source of light was a status symbol.

Dude.

At one point, having clean water was a status symbol, now we have made water abundant (again, at least in the developed world).

…Dude.

The same could conceivably happen to transportation. The mechanisms exist.

I'd like to see you argue more about how light and water aren't status symbols.

Take your time.