What were the findings of the independent research conducted by Gridwise regarding driver earnings in markets with Waymo?
Gridwise found that in the second quarter, base pay per hour was lower in San Francisco and Los Angeles, where drivers compete with Waymo, compared to the same period two years ago. In Austin, where Waymos are exclusively available on Uber, Gridwise found that base pay and gross pay per hour rose less than rideshare drivers in other parts of the country, suggesting AV growth may be putting pressure on driver earnings.
Q&A ID 674cdea6-1949-443a-82d3-f68eec0de496
What specific data does Uber provide regarding Waymo AV performance in Austin and Atlanta?
Uber reports that trips are up in Austin and Atlanta, where Waymo AVs share the Uber app with drivers. Specifically, Uber says that Waymos on its network in these two cities are completing approximately 30% more trips per vehicle per day than AVs in other major robotaxi markets.
Q&A ID e90ccbaa-1c37-46fe-b70b-0cc50267f7ff
According to Uber, how are trips being distributed between robotaxis and human drivers in their current operations?
Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi has stated that, so far, robotaxis are taking shorter city-center trips, which he suggested could be viewed as the AVs "getting the scraps," while human drivers are taking the longer, more lucrative trips.
Q&A ID 80f19814-0ed6-4f4c-8409-4078498f1b88
What does Sarfraz Maredia, Uber's president of autonomous mobility and delivery, say about the current state of robotaxi economics?
Maredia states that robotaxi economics remain unproven and that it is still early in the industry. He notes that no company is currently making money operating them at a massive scale, and it has yet to be proven whether AVs and their required support infrastructure (such as maintenance and charging) will ultimately be cheaper than the current ride-hailing model, noting that "the unit economics today have a long way to go."
Q&A ID 0ab29254-3050-4287-a942-88be206780fe
