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Waymo and Uber partner to bring autonomous driving technology to Uber

blog.waymo.com

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Re: Waymo and Uber partner to bring autonomous driving technology to Uber

#31

Post by msoad »

osigurdson wrote: post #24
SilverBirch wrote: post #2

This is fascinating, obviously it makes a tonne of sense for uber as a platform to offer waymo's autonomous vehicles. The first question I had though was "who extracts value here". Does Waymo get to demand human-driver level prices and therefore capture loads of value or does Uber actually capture the value because they're where the customers are. But then I realised... it doesn't matter. Waymo is part of Alphabet, a…

To me, the HTR (hard to replicate) tech is FSD. Google could bang out a ride booking app in a weekend.

Or multiple on various places. Google Rides, Google Play Hail, Youtube Taxi and so on...

Re: Waymo and Uber partner to bring autonomous driving technology to Uber

#32

Post by JumpCrisscross »

d33 wrote: post #26
omneity wrote: post #25

Uber moving strategically into the beginning of their late game. Interesting times. I suspect that Uber's main added value is a "safer" way for Waymo to increase the reach of their technology with lesser blowback against their own reputation (Uber did this, Uber did that ...), and to make it more mature, even more than the money potentially being exchanged here.

Do we have a proof that this means that they're ready for the late game, as opposed to just investors being desperate?

> proof that this means that they're ready for the late game, as opposed to just investors being desperate

Whose investors? Uber isn’t taking technology risk. And Waymo has worked in Phoenix for years. Partnering with Uber is a show of confidence in that it suggests their demand limited.

Re: Waymo and Uber partner to bring autonomous driving technology to Uber

#33

Post by afavour »

kornhole wrote: post #9

If I can't bike or bus it, taxis paid with cash is still my first preference.

I’m glad that works for you. But I’ve learned over years of discussing this stuff that there are so many different transportation situations experienced by different people that any universal rule is destined to become wrong.

Re: Waymo and Uber partner to bring autonomous driving technology to Uber

#34

Post by toddmorey »

osigurdson wrote: post #24
SilverBirch wrote: post #2

This is fascinating, obviously it makes a tonne of sense for uber as a platform to offer waymo's autonomous vehicles. The first question I had though was "who extracts value here". Does Waymo get to demand human-driver level prices and therefore capture loads of value or does Uber actually capture the value because they're where the customers are. But then I realised... it doesn't matter. Waymo is part of Alphabet, a…

To me, the HTR (hard to replicate) tech is FSD. Google could bang out a ride booking app in a weekend.

Seems like but then why the interest from Waymo in an Uber partnership? They already have the Waymo One app. I think it’s because getting users to switch or use multiple apps proves difficult.

Re: Waymo and Uber partner to bring autonomous driving technology to Uber

#35

Post by htrp »

osigurdson wrote: post #24
SilverBirch wrote: post #2

This is fascinating, obviously it makes a tonne of sense for uber as a platform to offer waymo's autonomous vehicles. The first question I had though was "who extracts value here". Does Waymo get to demand human-driver level prices and therefore capture loads of value or does Uber actually capture the value because they're where the customers are. But then I realised... it doesn't matter. Waymo is part of Alphabet, a…

To me, the HTR (hard to replicate) tech is FSD. Google could bang out a ride booking app in a weekend.

Just like Google can bang out a messaging app in a weekend?

Re: Waymo and Uber partner to bring autonomous driving technology to Uber

#36

Post by vsskanth »

htrp wrote: post #35
osigurdson wrote: post #24

Earlier quoted context omitted.

To me, the HTR (hard to replicate) tech is FSD. Google could bang out a ride booking app in a weekend.

Just like Google can bang out a messaging app in a weekend?

They have been. A new one every weekend.

Re: Waymo and Uber partner to bring autonomous driving technology to Uber

#37

Post by JumpCrisscross »

wombat-man wrote: post #19
35997279 wrote: post #16

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Can you get a taxi to show up? The last two times I tried to rebel against the rideshare duopoly was the morning before international flights. Trips to the airport are the only use case I have for rideshare. Both times I scheduled the pick up by calling the phone number the day before, both times the driver just… didn’t show up. I panicked and downloaded Lyft. I know some taxi companies have apps now, but if I’m goin…

Yeah taxi dispatch is hit and miss. They might be in NYC somewhere where it's possible to flag down a cab.

> might be in NYC somewhere where it's possible to flag down a cab

Unless it’s shift change or you’re in the wrong neighbourhood or have the wrong skin colour.

Re: Waymo and Uber partner to bring autonomous driving technology to Uber

#38

Post by makestuff »

SilverBirch wrote: post #2

This is fascinating, obviously it makes a tonne of sense for uber as a platform to offer waymo's autonomous vehicles. The first question I had though was "who extracts value here". Does Waymo get to demand human-driver level prices and therefore capture loads of value or does Uber actually capture the value because they're where the customers are. But then I realised... it doesn't matter. Waymo is part of Alphabet, a…

I am pretty confident google could spin up an org to replicate the uber app in a few months/maybe a year. However, Uber obviously cannot spin up an org to replicate self driving vehicles in a few months. By that logic I would say Waymo has all of the power since they could develop their own app and undercut uber on pricing. The customers would instantly leave as it is a race to the bottom with ride share.

Re: Waymo and Uber partner to bring autonomous driving technology to Uber

#40

Post by nickfromseattle »

osigurdson wrote: post #24
SilverBirch wrote: post #2

This is fascinating, obviously it makes a tonne of sense for uber as a platform to offer waymo's autonomous vehicles. The first question I had though was "who extracts value here". Does Waymo get to demand human-driver level prices and therefore capture loads of value or does Uber actually capture the value because they're where the customers are. But then I realised... it doesn't matter. Waymo is part of Alphabet, a…

To me, the HTR (hard to replicate) tech is FSD. Google could bang out a ride booking app in a weekend.

>Google could bang out a ride booking app in a weekend.

Google's culture isn't really built around providing human support to users. I believe there is also lots of onboarding involved for restaurants so Google may struggle there.

With that said, I am constantly hit up by outsourced Google reps for Adwords + Firebase but I think the average customer has a much higher transaction volume with much better margins than a restaurant would.

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