[Fuzz]

Originally Posted by accord1999

While this is talked about a lot in the media, I don't see it. As is stands today, at the rates that Uber pays its drivers, it's less than the standard mileage deductions allowed by the IRS and CRA. If Uber were able to get a new medium-sized sedan SDC powered by gas today, it would be more expensive than a human-driven car that's driving an older car.

And frankly, the business model of Uber is to push vehicle fleet expenses onto its human drivers. To go into a fleet business model, where it has to finance and maintain them is a 180 degree turn. Plus, while it's possible to skirt regulatory oversight by using human drivers and job creation to lobby for you, Uber won't get that with robot cars.

Then why is Uber investing into self driving car research?

"They took all the guys that were working on vehicle autonomy — basically whole groups, whole teams of developers, commercialization specialists, all the guys that find grants and who were bringing the intellectual property," recalls a person who was there during the departures. "These guys, they took everybody."
All told, Uber snatched up about 50 people from Carnegie Mellon, including many from its highest ranks.

http://www.theverge.com/transportati...mellon-poached

Although he didn't give any specifics about whether Uber envisions itself building its own car or working with partners, he believes that self-driving cars are going to be "in the world that exists tomorrow," no matter what.
"Are we going to be part of the future?" he asked. "Or are we going to resist the future, like that taxi industry before us? For us, we're a tech company, so we've said, let's be part of that. It's a super exciting place to be."

http://www.businessinsider.com/uber-...g-cars-2015-10

An odd strategy if you don't plan to build your own self driving car, isn't it?