“It will take much longer”: Uber CEO pessimistic about robotaxis

© Waymo

While autonomous vehicles, and more specifically robotaxis, are making more and more noise in Silicon Valley, we should not think that their widespread adoption is for now, warns Dara Khosrowshahi, CEO of Uber.

Waymo and Tesla in the lead

Waymo, the subsidiary of Alphabet, has recently stepped up its efforts. With an impressive fundraising of $5.6 billion at the end of last year, the company is currently the leader in the autonomous taxi sector. Its vehicles transport passengers in several American cities, with vast expansion plans in the coming months.

And a major competitor will soon be on its way. Elon Musk has announced that Tesla’s first autonomous taxis will start hitting the roads of Austin, Texas, in June.

You might think that the era of robotaxis is fast approaching, but according to Dara Khosrowshahi, there are still significant obstacles for companies that want to operate them. The executive knows what he’s talking about, as Uber has established a partnership with Waymo. Users of the app can order a self-driving taxi in Phoenix, Arizona, and soon in Austin and Atlanta, Georgia.

” We believe that commercialization of the technology will take much, much longer ,” he said in a letter to his investors, referring to robotaxis fleets.

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© Waymo

Several logistical and technical hurdles

” Several pieces of the go-to-market puzzle still need to come together ,” he continued. For example, he mentioned the logistical aspects, with the need for plenty of parking spaces when the vehicles are not in use, as well as the need for regular cleaning and maintenance.

Similarly, autonomous taxis, all electric, need to be recharged several times a day, as they travel much greater distances than conventional cars.

Regulations are also a factor, as is the safety factor. In the United States, each state has different legislation on this subject, forcing operators to adapt accordingly. In addition, a single autonomous vehicle is expensive, and this price can be multiplied by tens or even hundreds, depending on the fleet.

Dara Khosrowshahi still believes that the advent of autonomous taxis will arrive one day, but certainly not right away. ” In 15 or 20 years, I think the autonomous driver will be better than the human driver. They will have learned to drive for lifetimes, like no one else can, and they will not be distracted ,” he predicted in an interview published in January.

• According to the CEO of Uber, the advent of autonomous taxi fleets is not coming soon.
• He believes that many logistical, regulatory and security challenges are still holding back the adoption of the technology on a large scale.
• Nevertheless, he predicts that their advent will occur in the next 10 to 20 years.

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