Quote:
Originally Posted by Brupal
Why would they be cheaper than a guy driving a Prius? Because they don’t have to PAY the guy driving the Prius.
When your biggest expense is the driver, and you cut that out, you suddenly have a lot of wiggle room. Then when you get your magical self driving car at builder’s cost (because you built it) you can save a bit more. And when the software that costs $8,000 US for anyone else to have but you can flick it on for free then you save a bunch of other costs. And then when you can probably charge the car below the posted rates for the rest of the masses (or even if you can’t but it’s still cheaper than gasoline) and your maintenance and repair costs are at cost with no labour instead of at market rates then you can shave some more costs. So now tell me how Tesla won’t be the lowest cost and highest profit ride share provider. Goodbye Uber, Lyft, and yes eventually Waymo unless they somehow pivot to some extraordinary high end bespoke limousine level service provider.
|
This is all the same stuff Elon said 5 years ago. You write of Waymo, except they are one of the few actually doing the thing Tesla can't do, and has been desperately trying to for a decade. Yes, their vehicle costs more, but it works. It's also largely a development platform, which means they'll be reducing costs and optimizing in the future, when it makes sense. It's a good place to start, vs making a gold dimple with unfinished software.
Can we talk about the Cybercab for a sec?
This has to be one of the most unfit for purpose vehicles ever devised(somehow worse than the Cybertruck). These will largely be meant for urban environments, so they made a whole bunch of poor decisions. Low profile wheels, so rough roads are not comfortable. The doors open in a weird way that will be blocked by any post, bike, light, or other obstacle. It's low to the ground, with slick aerodynamics, which are largely useless in urban environments. But it does mean getting in and out is awkward, particularly for the mobility challenged. And because Elon doesn't believe in grab handles, it's even worse. The trunk is not all that large, due to the aerodynamics. It can only transport two people, so families are forced to split up.
If you want to build a robotic taxi, it should look a lot more like a London Cab than a Lotus.