Uber CEO: Widespread Adoption of Self-Driving Taxis Will Take Time

During a recent earnings call, Uber's CEO Dara Khosrowshahi emphasized the hurdles facing the integration of self-driving taxis into their operations. Although companies like Tesla and Waymo are advancing autonomous technology in select US cities, Khosrowshahi expressed that scaling these innovations to create large fleets for Uber's rideshare service will require significant time. He highlighted key challenges such as safety concerns, parking needs, and maintaining the vehicles, noting that self-driving cars average about 100,000 miles per year, necessitating frequent charging and upkeep. Uber's pilot program in Phoenix with Waymo is set to expand to Atlanta and Austin, but Khosrowshahi reiterated that widespread commercial availability of autonomous vehicles is still far in the future, potentially not materializing in the next five years.