Emil Michael, former chief business officer at Uber Technologies Inc. (NYSE:UBER) recently expressed skepticism about the financial feasibility of robotaxis, citing the high cost of production.
What Happened: Michael shared his views on how long it will take for autonomous taxis to become a reality during Monday’s episode of CNBC’s “Last Call.”
“It’s always around the corner, but it takes more than people think…because of regulation, the cost of the vehicles that do it well, and also the density of enough driverless cars in any city to have a ride take 10 minutes or less to get to your door when you order one,” Michael said.
“These things are expensive. The Waymo cost of that whole vehicle… is about $300K. That’s not going to replace a driver financially anytime soon.”