Waymo Charges 41% More Than Uber and Lyft Despite Customer Preference for Driverless Cars
Summary
Waymo's driverless cars cost 41% more than Uber and Lyft rides in San Francisco, averaging $20.43 versus competitors' $14-15 fares, yet 70% of customers still prefer the autonomous vehicles despite paying up to $11 extra during peak hours.
Key Points
- Waymo rides average $20.43 compared to Lyft's $14.44 and Uber's $15.58, with customers paying up to $11 more during peak hours according to data from nearly 90,000 ride records in San Francisco
- Despite higher costs, 70% of surveyed users prefer driverless cars over traditional rideshares, with Waymo providing 250,000 paid trips per week across four cities
- Waymo's pricing shows greater variability due to less sophisticated algorithms and fixed vehicle supply, with short trips under 1.4km costing 31-41% more than competitors but the gap narrowing on longer rides