For some indescribable reason, Uber is losing its grip on the ridesharing industry, at least from the perspective of the market leaders in the robotaxi space.
Apparently, Google’s Waymo is reportedly outperforming Uber’s human drivers on the platform. Waymo is basically a self-driving car, so you hitch this ride, hop on to the vehicle, and boom, you won’t see a driver, but a steering wheel spinning on its own.
Particularly in Philadelphia, Waymo’s success is unstoppable. The robotaxi company has triumphantly deployed its sixth-generation for testing here, making a major step in its expansion in the Northeastern region.
The spokesperson for Waymo, Ethan Teicher, added that this testing would focus on winter conditions. Teicher stated that Philadelphia provides the perfect proving ground with its varied weather and dense urban traffic.
Uber surrendering?
Interestingly enough, it was Uber’s CEO Dara Khosrowshahi himself who admitted during the company’s second-quarter earnings call this year that Waymo’s robotaxis – specifically those operating in Austin in Texas, and Atlanta in Georgia – were more productive than 99 percent of Uber’s human drivers. That’s right, than 99 percent. Khosrowshahi further noted that Waymo’s cars completed more on everyday trips on average, highlighting the operational advantage of autonomous technology.
Khosrowshahi’s claims are even proven by facts. Autonomous vehicles or robotaxis don’t ever get tired. Humans need resting, of course, but these self-driving vehicles don’t. They could work non-stop. They are capable of anything, handling back-to-back rides with minimal downtime, pausing just for charging, cleaning, or maintenance.
Data from the popular publication Business Insider revealed that Waymo’s fleet could theoretically operate almost 24 hours a day, seven days a week, provided they’d be charged or refreshed, just like your electric vehicles. This is something that human drivers couldn’t match.
Furthermore, this capacity is hinged on Waymo’s several-years-long development and testing. The company has situated itself in real-world conditions prior, fine-tuning its systems to handle complex traffic scenarios. Sad for Uber.
Uber could see this as opportunities
However, Uber shouldn’t be fazed as the company could see this overtake as their biggest opportunity. Uber has been raking in lots of revenues, lately and they could use and leverage these to sign deals and partner with Waymo, the similar way they’re collaborating with electric cars. For instance, there was a $300 million investment with Lucid, an EV maker, together with robotics startup business, Nuro. It isn’t Waymo, but the road ahead is bright.
Waymo is currently already running commercial services also in Phoenix, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Austin, and Atlanta. New markets like Washington, D.C., and Miami are expected to take the step toward their online presence by 2026.
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