
Uber is taking a big risk by ordering 24,000 cars from Volvo - okket
https://arstechnica.com/cars/2017/11/uber-just-made-a-billion-dollar-deal-for-self-driving-volvos/
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cltlz3n
> Lyft is betting that other companies will figure out how to build self-
> driving cars but won't have the time, expertise, or capital required to
> build their own Lyft-style ride-hailing networks. By contrast, Uber seems to
> fear that a company like Waymo could build both driverless cars and a ride-
> hailing app, shutting companies like Uber and Lyft out of the marketplace
> altogether.

Everybody and their cousin is doing on-site delivery and geo tracking type
apps these days so I'd say Lyft's bet is much riskier.

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alkonaut
This is a pretty big gamble right? I mean if they buy a billion dollars worth
of high end cars and regulation or tech fails to remove the driver from the
equation then they just have a much more expensive fleet than the competition?

I’m calling it: the “autonomous fleet” will be manned and the drivers will be
doing telemarketing calls or similar 95% of the time, and only drive when the
AI can’t.

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Symbiote
Regulation shouldn't be a problem: if the USA won't allow them, there are
plenty of other countries that might.

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alkonaut
I don't think regulation is the biggest hurdle either. But the cars have to
have great reliability while being very safe. So I think the cheapest way to
achieve that within the closest 10 years is to have someone that isn't very
well paid to simply sit in the car and monitor it.

