For those of us who follow the evolution of autonomous cars a little, which are currently limited to autonomous taxis that operate in a few cities, we see that their “business” is quite uncertain, since their costs far exceed those of their competitors with driver.
Autonomous driving technology is still very expensive, and to make matters worse, it is not accepted by a significant number of people, who see them as something dangerous, although the data indicates that autonomous cars are safer than cars with drivers. But it is difficult for people to change their way of thinking.
When Cruise's accident occurred and their cars were removed from the roads of San Francisco, their space was not replaced by their competitor Waymo, since their trips are more expensive than the income they receive from them. Today, these companies have greater losses with more business. And we don't know how long it can last.
All of these companies (North American and Chinese) are large and have been investing and losing money for a long time, betting on a future that has not yet arrived. And I assume that the top managers of these companies are under pressure from investors, who will want to know when they are going to start earning something.
Today no one can answer the question of whether self-driving taxis will one day dominate the streets of our cities, and when that might happen.
Currently the outlook is frankly uncertain. While companies developing autonomous taxis, such as Waymo, Cruise, and Argo AI, have made significant advances in the technology, there is still a long way to go before these vehicles can operate safely and efficiently in complex urban environments.
Regulations also play a crucial role. Current legislation in most countries is not prepared for the large-scale circulation of autonomous taxis, which generates legal uncertainty and slows down investment in this sector.
For autonomous taxis to become a viable and competitive alternative, they must overcome the following challenges:
- Cost reduction:: Large-scale production and the development of more efficient technologies are essential to lower the price of autonomous taxis.
- Technology improvement:: Greater development is required in areas such as perception of the environment, decision making and interaction with other road users.
- Adaptation of legislation:: Governments must create clear and safe regulatory frameworks that allow the responsible operation of autonomous taxis.
And this is said to be easy, but achieving it is not easy at all.
Today the question is: Will the day come when autonomous taxis dominate the streets? Only time will tell.
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