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Google Is Developing Its Own Uber Competitor

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Re: Google Is Developing Its Own Uber Competitor

#221

Post by visakanv »

disillusioned wrote: post #214
roskilli wrote: post #210

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Surely the riders install base is quite valuable if both were to have as good tech and self driving cars

Yeah, sort of, but Google has the unique positioning of a much larger install base by virtue of Google Maps. If they integrated ride hailing and routing (essentially, their Uber competitor) directly into Maps, then Uber's rider base doesn't matter, though their head-start onboarding drivers would help for awhile.

That was what I was thinking. I already use Google Maps like crazy. Add a "get picked up by driverless car now" button and I'm probably sold. (I don't use Uber though, I'm too broke for that right now.)

Re: Google Is Developing Its Own Uber Competitor

#223

Post by mathattack »

visakanv wrote: post #220
mathattack wrote: post #216

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The value is only partially in the driver base. Drivers are tangible. But the true value is intangible. There is enormous brand value in thinking "I'll get an Uber" as a synonym for "I'll get a taxi, but right what I need it, and it probably will smell better." There is value of having that app on the phone, with credit card # already in place. But perhaps more important is that Uber is building a graph of everyone w…

> There is enormous brand value in thinking "I'll get an Uber" as a synonym for "I'll get a taxi, but right what I need it, and it probably will smell better." There is value of having that app on the phone, with credit card # already in place. Hrm. I see where you're coming from, but I can also imagine opening up Google Maps, clicking directions to go somewhere, and then when it says "press to be picked up by your d…

I'm not saying that Uber wins, just that it has quite a bit of value independently. And similar to Google with search (which learns each time someone searches) there is a reinforcing edge when you're first.

The key probably isn't price. I think it will be convenience. If Uber knows to have a car nearby you when you need it, you'll pay a dollar more to save 10 minutes. (Same with Google)

I wonder about other entrants... Perhaps Apple? Or Tesla?

Re: Google Is Developing Its Own Uber Competitor

#224

Post by mathattack »

BobMarz wrote: post #181
mathattack wrote: post #93

I look at this with great anticipation. This will be an enormous reducer of congestion. Driverless cars will remove many of the headaches and hassles of high-density commutes. Imagine being able to pop a beer in the backseat as an automated car drives you home.

If working shifts were staggered that would do more to reduce congestion I think.

I don't see that happening any time soon. More likely to have the automated cars first.

Re: Google Is Developing Its Own Uber Competitor

#225

Post by mathattack »

dkarapetyan wrote: post #219
mathattack wrote: post #216

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The value is only partially in the driver base. Drivers are tangible. But the true value is intangible. There is enormous brand value in thinking "I'll get an Uber" as a synonym for "I'll get a taxi, but right what I need it, and it probably will smell better." There is value of having that app on the phone, with credit card # already in place. But perhaps more important is that Uber is building a graph of everyone w…

How many data points do you think you need to make predictions about where people want to go? Uber's data isn't as hard to get as you think. The article mentions also that Uber is already using Google maps to do routing so Google already has all the data it needs.

Google Maps has destinations and directions. Not sure if they store histories of where people searched for directions. (Anyone in the know have thoughts?)

Uber has, or eventually will have, "User 1VB7X has hailed an Uber from 45th and 6th nine times out of ten when they were within two blocks. They are now 5 blocks away and headed in that direction." If you add this up for everyone who has the app on their phone, it becomes incredibly powerful for optimizing the motion of Uber cars.

I'm still not 100% convinced that Uber wins, but the value of the company is in their data, and the location signals they get from everyone who has the app.

Re: Google Is Developing Its Own Uber Competitor

#226

Post by puranjay »

mathattack wrote: post #216
dojomouse wrote: post #197

So much criticism of Google! My question: Why on earth would Google want to cede any significant chunk of the personal transport value stream to Uber - or acquire them at a $40Bil+ valuation - when the main (only?) semi-uniquely valuable thing Uber have (a large network of drivers) is worth approximately zero dollars in a self-driving vehicle scenario. Uber are valuable and effective in a human-driven vehicle model b…

The value is only partially in the driver base. Drivers are tangible. But the true value is intangible. There is enormous brand value in thinking "I'll get an Uber" as a synonym for "I'll get a taxi, but right what I need it, and it probably will smell better." There is value of having that app on the phone, with credit card # already in place. But perhaps more important is that Uber is building a graph of everyone w…

I understand where you are coming from, but the competitor here is Google. The Google brand is arguably even stronger than the Uber brand and I don't see why it wouldn't transplant easily to cabs. People trust and like Google. They might as well like its cabs.

This is particularly true because unlike Uber, Google hasn't been maligned by the perception of being a bully (the 'Dont be Evil' mantra is widely still held to be true by the general public).

Here in India, for instance, the Uber brand was tarnished heavily by a rape in New Delhi followed by utterly callous handling of the case by Uber employees (which included sending everyone, along with the rape victim, an email saying 'we are back!').

Google doesn't have that problem. As for payment information, Google already has that for a lot of consumers thanks to Google Play

Re: Google Is Developing Its Own Uber Competitor

#227

Post by visakanv »

mathattack wrote: post #223
visakanv wrote: post #220

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> There is enormous brand value in thinking "I'll get an Uber" as a synonym for "I'll get a taxi, but right what I need it, and it probably will smell better." There is value of having that app on the phone, with credit card # already in place. Hrm. I see where you're coming from, but I can also imagine opening up Google Maps, clicking directions to go somewhere, and then when it says "press to be picked up by your d…

I'm not saying that Uber wins, just that it has quite a bit of value independently. And similar to Google with search (which learns each time someone searches) there is a reinforcing edge when you're first. The key probably isn't price. I think it will be convenience. If Uber knows to have a car nearby you when you need it, you'll pay a dollar more to save 10 minutes. (Same with Google) I wonder about other entrants.…

From my POV of Tesla's mission, I think Tesla would be happy to bow out of this fight and probably go into battery production/innovation. Giga-factory and all.

I think for ME as a consumer, I will prioritize price over convenience unless I'm in a huge rush... so as long as the car arrives in 20-mins ish, I'll pick the cheaper option. But I suppose someone will aim to be hyper-fast, and someone will aim to be hyper-cheap.

Pretty exciting to be a consumer either way! (I'm probably being naive...)

Re: Google Is Developing Its Own Uber Competitor

#228

Post by visakanv »

Alupis wrote: post #215
jfoutz wrote: post #141

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I understand what you're saying, and i agree there are a ton in testing. But it's not like i can go to the volvo website and check the box for the "no steering wheel" option at any price. Furthermore if i'm say, WalMart, I can't call up any truck manufacturers and get a self driving option for my next fleet purchases. That's in spite of having a huge infrastructure for supporting and maintaining my trucks. Today, unl…

There's also a lot of unknowns and serious challenges and difficult problems to solve before driver-less vehicles can become "mainstream". Majority (all?) of the road testing has been on fairly controlled roads with "normal" circumstances, ie. not a blizzard with iced roads, hydroplaning, debris falling in front of the vehicle at speed, etc. Longevity of the vehicle - it's doubtful a driverless vehicle purchased toda…

> The moment the first human casualty occurs do to some software/hardware failure, there will be serious ramifications for the self-driving world.

Just want to add to the discussion a reminder that this is said about literally every new piece of technology that has ever happened- the first human casuality from riding a horse, first human casualty from driving a car, etc.

It's interesting to note that we're expected to lose our minds over the first human death with New Technology Y, when Old Technology X is typically killing humans all the time.

Also out of curiosity– re: longevity, why would a driverless car have to be on the road for 15 years? Why not just update/retrofit/repair/replace every year or so?

Spacecraft and military equipment are used in really extreme settings! Also can't driverless cars update themselves, go for repairs themselves, etc?

Also I'm guessing it wouldn't make a lot of sense for regular folks to own their own driverless car. They'll just use one at the touch of a button whenever they need to. When renting becomes THAT cheap, ownership makes less sense (for most people, at least).

My $0.02

Re: Google Is Developing Its Own Uber Competitor

#229

Post by sparkzilla »

scep12 wrote: post #164
sparkzilla wrote: post #147

Meanwhile Google's core search business is looking increasingly vulnerable.

How's that?

The core search is getting less profitable each year. Apps are cutting into the search engine business, and the actual search results are a mess. See my blog post for one example: http://newslines.org/blog/googles-black-hole/

Re: Google Is Developing Its Own Uber Competitor

#230

Post by mcintyre1994 »

xivzgrev wrote: post #145

I'm really surprised. G ventures puts ton of money into uber, uber makes a huge pre order for google cars, uber gets put into google maps. And now this. I guess google is like "well we got the hard part, self driving cars. Why not just go after this ourselves?" What is the thing google really wants? Is it more valuable to try to directly monetize all this vehicle traffic, or be the platform every else uses? Google co…

> What is the thing google really wants?

I think they want a seriously diversified revenue stream. This gives them data, yes - but it's also directly monetizable. If they see personal transport as a winner takes all market, and they can branch into deliveries, and they do have the best self driving cars then they have a serious advantage in the market and a path to a serious new revenue stream.

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