Maybe in seven or so years we’ll have the answer

Robotaxis are what companies from Cruise to Zoox are assiduously working on, the mode of transport that will take the driver out of the equation.

According to market intelligence firm Guidehouse Insights, which has released a report titled Robotaxi Services Overview, this is why: “Removing drivers from ride-hailing operations is widely seen as an opportunity for the industry to reduce operating costs and ensure profitability.”

However, the firm also notes, “major players including Waymo, DiDi, Cruise and Uber have placed multibillion-dollar bets on developing automated driving technology and piloting robotaxi services.”

Seems like it is going to take a whole lot of rides to make an ROI of “multibillion-dollar” investments.

One of the assessments made by Guidehouse Insights is that more than 90% of all passenger miles traveled by robotaxis between 2020 and 2030 will occur in China, North America and Europe.

One thing: According to Sagie Evbenata, sensor research analyst with the firm, “Few commercial deployments are likely to be seen until 2028-2029, but this is likely to be followed by a period of extreme growth where robotaxis mainly replace human-driven ride-hailing services.”

So, no, you’ve not missed much in 2021.