> Uber: the drivers own the cars, the drivers maintain the cars

One additional factor seems to be that Uber drivers tend to underestimate the depreciation of their cars, so they effectively subsidize what otherwise would be Uber's capital cost.

And THAT's something you can't get a robot to do.

Add to that the fact that you are never going to get 100% fleet utilisation, will need to pay for qualified tele-operators, maintain/repair vehicle along with sensors...

I recently listened to a podcast episode of the Autonocast[1], where they interviewed a Harvard Researcher who claimed the economics of Robotaxis just don't work. Very interesting listen.

[1] http://www.autonocast.com/blog/2020/3/11/177-ashley-nunes-on...

All transportation businesses are utilization businesses. Empty hours/miles are never recovered.

Early robotaxis will have tight geofences. Makes them particularly bad competitors to poorly paid people who are willing to drive wherever.

I think it will probably work at some point in the future( 20-40 years). Today the reality is that the jobs we reward the least are the ones that turn out to be the most difficult to automate. Someone with 10 min training can do better job with a thread and a needle than the most advanced robot painfully trying to stich two pieces of garmet together.If these can be overcome,then it may work.

And the important part of your observation on the thread and needle is that there are people who will do that for about 1 penny currency relative- and about 100 more willing to take the job if the first one quits. Hard for a capital intensive robot and a team of Bay Area salaries to step into that even if good at it.