🚗 Uber shares fell 4.3% on Thursday. The spark? Waymo’s announcement that it will end its autonomous driving partnership with the two companies!
This was actually hinted at well in advance. In recent years, Uber has gradually scaled back in the autonomous driving space and shifted its focus back to its core ride-sharing business. Meanwhile, Waymo has continued to push commercialization forward. The two companies’ directions have long since diverged.
That said, the market reaction may be a bit overblown—ending the partnership is, in fact, like taking a weight off Uber’s back. After all, autonomous driving has burned money for years without clear profitability. What really needs attention is that the autonomous driving industry’s concentration will continue to increase—small players and cross-industry newcomers will find it harder and harder to keep playing.
What do you think about Uber and Waymo splitting up this time? Share your views in the comments!
#Uber #Waymo #automated_driving
This was actually hinted at well in advance. In recent years, Uber has gradually scaled back in the autonomous driving space and shifted its focus back to its core ride-sharing business. Meanwhile, Waymo has continued to push commercialization forward. The two companies’ directions have long since diverged.
That said, the market reaction may be a bit overblown—ending the partnership is, in fact, like taking a weight off Uber’s back. After all, autonomous driving has burned money for years without clear profitability. What really needs attention is that the autonomous driving industry’s concentration will continue to increase—small players and cross-industry newcomers will find it harder and harder to keep playing.
What do you think about Uber and Waymo splitting up this time? Share your views in the comments!
#Uber #Waymo #automated_driving