Waymo and Uber tested robotaxis in Phoenix. Failed. Ended the pilot. The cars still work, so Waymo pointed them at DoorDash instead.
The partnership lasted long enough for someone to write a press release and short enough that nobody read it. Uber wanted self-driving cars to pick up drunk people. Waymo said sure. Phoenix said fine. Then everyone realized drunk people prefer human drivers they can yell at.
Now the same fleet delivers burritos. Same cars. Same streets. Different app. The technology didn't change. The business model did. Which tells you everything about how serious this robotaxi revolution was in the first place.
Retail traders who bought into the autonomous vehicle narrative are now watching those vehicles haul Chipotle orders for $4 plus tip. The cars were supposed to disrupt transportation. Instead they're competing with a nineteen-year-old in a Honda Civic.
Uber gets to tell investors they tried. Waymo gets to tell investors the cars are still deployed. DoorDash gets cars that won't steal fries. Everyone wins except the people who thought this pilot meant something.
Phoenix remains the testing ground for every tech company too scared to launch in a real city. The weather's good. The roads are wide. The regulations are light. If your robotaxi can't work there, it can't work anywhere. Turns out it couldn't work there either.
The cars will keep driving. Just with egg rolls in the trunk instead of passengers who tip.
Photo by on Unsplash
Leave a Comment