Self-Driver
Self-driving cars have moved from a mere fictional and playful speculation to a reality. Indeed, the days of seeing these cars on the road are no longer limited to the big screen, but rather, an integral component of the automobile industry’s next chapter. Many companies like Tesla have already been experimenting with self-driving cars for the past few decades, and progress overseas in countries like China is also notable. One of the next big inventions coming to self-driving cars is self-driving taxis. Currently robotaxi apps show the companies are still heavily subsidizing rides, so they are struggling with profitability. Even so, there is profit to be made in self-driving tech. One of the major factors behind the growth is the actual sales of the software behind the cars.
Looking forward there are some potentially lucrative partnerships being formed. One example is the Chinese self-driving tech start-up WeRide, which just last week received an investment from German engineering company Bosch to produce an assisted driving software system. The investment aims to back up the next steps in commercialization, which would involve getting more pilots launched in China as well as testing out paid services to ensure the viability of the business model.
What do you think about self-driving cars, robotaxis, and the future of the industry?