Uber CEO says making self-driving taxis mainstream will 'take way, way longer'

Self-driving cars have a long way to go before they become commonplace on Uber, according to CEO Dara Khosrowshahi. During the company's fourth-quarter earnings call, he highlighted numerous hurdles, including safety concerns and the need for adequate parking and maintenance infrastructure for large fleets of autonomous vehicles (AVs). Khosrowshahi stated, 'We think that the commercialization of the technology is going to take way, way longer.' While companies like Waymo are currently deploying driverless cars in select U.S. cities, scaling the technology for rideshare services remains complex. In addition, he noted the impact of variability in state regulations and the need for cost reductions in self-driving technology. As of now, Uber's partnership with Waymo is expanding to cities like Atlanta and Austin, yet Khosrowshahi cautioned that he anticipates no complete replacement of human drivers in the next five years.