Jump to content
News
Reviews
Discussons
Activity
Create New...
Close

  • 💬 Join the Conversation

    CnG Logo SQ 2023 RedBlue FavIcon300w.png
    Since 2001, Cheers & Gears has been the go-to hub for automotive enthusiasts. Join today to access our vibrant forums, upload your vehicle to the Garage, and connect with fellow gearheads around the world.

     

  • William Maley
    William Maley

    By William Maley •

    New Study Reveals Ride-Hailing Services Will Still Be Expensive, Even With Robots

      ...That whole autonomous-vehicle will be our savor to ride-hailing services.... that may not be exactly true...

    There has been a prevailing thought about the likes of Uber and Lyft that once they switch from human drivers to self-driving vehicles, they would stand to see a significant reduction in overall operating costs. This possibly means consumers could see these services as an alternative to owning a vehicle. But a new study from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) disputes that claim.

    Researchers Ashley Nunes and Kristen D. Hernandez examined the San Francisco market on the per-mile cost of an automated taxi service to owning a vehicle. They found an automated taxi would range between $1.58 and $6.01 per mile, while the conventional vehicle would be at $0.72 per mile.

    "When we started going into this work, we found there's a lot of hand-waving. There was a notion that 'All we have to do is remove the driver, assume a reduction in insurance, and there's our great number.' We said, 'Let's hold it up to scrutiny.' It didn't hold up," explained Nunes to Automotive News.

    The massive disparity gap isn't due to ownership or maintenance, rather a fundamental issue about the taxi market in general. Nunes said taxi operators drive too many miles without a paying customer - hence their higher costs. In San Francisco, the MIT researchers found a 52 percent utilization rate for ride-hailing. Even if they were able to reach 100 percent utilization, Nunes said they would still be "unable to provide a fare that's comparable to car ownership."

    "Their approach with the investment folks has been, 'Trust us, we'll figure this out and it'll be this great utopia where everyone is jumping from an Uber to a scooter to an air taxi.The future may well be all those things. But you need to demonstrate you can offer the service at a price point that consumers are willing and able to pay. Thus far, they are unable to do so," said Nunes.

    Source: Automotive News (Subscription Required)

    Go to articles

    User Feedback

    Recommended Comments

    Robert Hall

    I like using Uber occasionally when I’m going to dinner or a concert or other event downtown in an area without convenient parking...not something I’d use daily, but a few times a month..

    For vacations, I could see using Uber esp. in places where I wouldn't rent a car.  

    Edited by Robert Hall
    • Like 1
    • Agree 1
    Link to comment
    Share on other sites
    frogger

    When travelling we use Uber but around here we just use the subway when needed, gone are the days I'm out past last train.

     

    Edited by frogger
    Link to comment
    Share on other sites
    riviera74

    Equally important is that rideshares are not practical in a lot of small towns and rural America more generally.  I have no need for a rideshare, but I do feel sorry for those who live in the middle of nowhere without a CAR of their own.

    • Like 1
    • Agree 1
    Link to comment
    Share on other sites
    Drew Dowdell

    I use Uber/Lyft to get to and from the airport primarily because work won't reimburse mileage for the trip and it is a 60 mile round trip for me which adds up as much as I travel. 

    That said... Uber and Lyft aren't all that expensive today even with human drivers. They're cheaper than taxis. 

    • Agree 1
    Link to comment
    Share on other sites
    ccap41

    They can be extremely convenient. A couple years ago when we went to Vegas, we never needed to rent a vehicle because we were close enough to walk most places but those we couldn't the $10-30 for an Uber/Lyft was way cheaper and even more convenient than finding a place to park and most likely paying to park as well. 

    We also use them if we're going out drinking places, no worry of a DUI if you're not driving. 

    It's really all about location. When you're in a larger populated area, it's way more convenient to Uber/Lyft then drive a lot of the time. 

    • Agree 2
    Link to comment
    Share on other sites
    G. David Felt

    Do not forget Private auto's. Getting from SeaTac airport to my house is a $125 plus tip in a Yellow Cab, $100 plus tip in an Uber / lyft and cheapest is private car, $75 plus tip. I use the private auto's because the cost is so much cheaper over a traditional taxi or messing with the uber / lyft app stuff.

    Link to comment
    Share on other sites
    Robert Hall
    45 minutes ago, dfelt said:

    Do not forget Private auto's. Getting from SeaTac airport to my house is a $125 plus tip in a Yellow Cab, $100 plus tip in an Uber / lyft and cheapest is private car, $75 plus tip. I use the private auto's because the cost is so much cheaper over a traditional taxi or messing with the uber / lyft app stuff.

    But once you factor in the cost of parking at the airport (if you leave your vehicle there for several days), then taxi/uber/etc may make more sense. 

    Link to comment
    Share on other sites
    Drew Dowdell
    48 minutes ago, dfelt said:

    Do not forget Private auto's. Getting from SeaTac airport to my house is a $125 plus tip in a Yellow Cab, $100 plus tip in an Uber / lyft and cheapest is private car, $75 plus tip. I use the private auto's because the cost is so much cheaper over a traditional taxi or messing with the uber / lyft app stuff.

    You must live way out there.  I"m 30 miles from the PIT airport and its usually between $50 and $60 dollars one way in Uber/Lyft.

    I do it because of the mileage non-reimbursement.... but they'll reimburse me for a Lyft.  It makes no sense, but it's the system I have to work with. 

    Link to comment
    Share on other sites
    ccap41
    9 minutes ago, Robert Hall said:

    But once you factor in the cost of parking at the airport (if you leave your vehicle there for several days), then taxi/uber/etc may make more sense. 

    Yeah airport parking is insane. Depending how close/far away you are it's $7.00(reasonable) to $30 a day here at Lambert(Just checked). Most seem to be in the $10-$20 range. That sht adds up. 

    • Agree 1
    Link to comment
    Share on other sites
    G. David Felt
    58 minutes ago, Drew Dowdell said:

    You must live way out there.  I"m 30 miles from the PIT airport and its usually between $50 and $60 dollars one way in Uber/Lyft.

    I do it because of the mileage non-reimbursement.... but they'll reimburse me for a Lyft.  It makes no sense, but it's the system I have to work with. 

    Takes me 1hr 30 min to get from my house to SeaTac. With the New Pane Field in Everett, now 15 min or less to get from my house to that new airport in Everett.

    1 hour ago, Robert Hall said:

    But once you factor in the cost of parking at the airport (if you leave your vehicle there for several days), then taxi/uber/etc may make more sense. 

    Yes, that is true, just makes more sense to have my wife in the past would drive and we would drop the daughter off at work, then go to the airport and she would drive home. Being a morning person, I always get the first flight out in the morning.

    Link to comment
    Share on other sites
    Robert Hall
    1 minute ago, dfelt said:

    Takes me 1hr 30 min to get from my house to SeaTac. With the New Pane Field in Everett, now 15 min or less to get from my house to that new airport in Everett.

    Yes, that is true, just makes more sense to have my wife in the past would drive and we would drop the daughter off at work, then go to the airport and she would drive home. Being a morning person, I always get the first flight out in the morning.

    Yeah, like when I lived in Arizona, I would drop my sister off at the airport every Sunday evening/Monday morning and pick her up Thursday evening when she worked out of town for years.   When I lived in Colorado, I would leave a vehicle at DIA sometimes for 2-3 weeks in long term parking when I would go on vacations.    

    Link to comment
    Share on other sites
    balthazar

    It just struck me about the opening pic: that’s a pretty demure outfit for a prostitute. I guess in 2019, they should be able to dress however they see fit/ makes them comfortable rather than how ‘street society’ tells them they have to.

    • Haha 1
    • Confused 1
    Link to comment
    Share on other sites
    G. David Felt
    7 minutes ago, balthazar said:

    It just struck me about the opening pic: that’s a pretty demure outfit for a prostitute. I guess in 2019, they should be able to dress however they see fit/ makes them comfortable rather than how ‘street society’ tells them they have to.

    Did I miss the ride hailing service picture with a prostitute on the cover? ?

    Just saw the pic Bill used. :lol:

    Link to comment
    Share on other sites
    G. David Felt
    1 hour ago, Drew Dowdell said:

    The driver is female too.... Are there Lesbian hookers? Do they hang out at Uhaul stores?

    That should be popular then as a 3 some was listed on the dreams of college students for a crazy night of passion.

    Link to comment
    Share on other sites


    Join the conversation

    You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
    Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.

    Guest
    Add a comment...

    ×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

      Only 75 emoji are allowed.

    ×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

    ×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

    ×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

    ×



  • Support Real Automotive Journalism

    Cheers and Gears Logo

    Since 2001, Cheers & Gears has delivered real content and honest opinions — not emotionless AI output or manufacturer-filtered fluff.

    If you value independent voices and authentic reviews, consider subscribing. Plans start at just $2.25/month, and paid members enjoy an ad-light experience.*

    You can view subscription options here.

    *a very limited number of ads contain special coupon deals for our members and will show

  • Similar Content

  • Posts

    • oldshurst442
      Random Thoughts Thread

      By oldshurst442 · Posted

      Canada's waterbomber fleet These guys Manitoba's fleet is 40 years old While Quebec's youngest fleet is also at 40 years old while its oldest is 53 years old.     Spain, Greece and France also have the same age range as Quebec's.  The older version which is the CL-215,  is 50 years plus in service for all that use it. They are still flying.  The next gen CL 415 is 30-40 years in service for all fleet users.  Canadair/Bombardier has sold the license to Viking and they are currently working on updating the airplane. It is called the CL 515.   European users are desperately wanting to replace their fleets.  Deliveries of the new CL 515 is said to be in early 2026.  With the water bombers, its not just cycles that put pressure on the sheet metal for metal fatigue. Its the weight of the water itself taking off from a lake. But mostly, when the water gets released.  HUGE amounts of pressure stresses  the structure when the water is released and all that weight that is released instantly and is no more.  
    • trinacriabob
      Random Thoughts Thread

      By trinacriabob · Posted

      I also like black cats. I flew on a 747-400 within the last year or two.  I think it was about 25 years old.  It's an incredible machine.  I'm always a happy camper (without a Subaru) when I'm aboard one. 
    • G. David Felt
      Random Thoughts Thread

      By G. David Felt · Posted

      @A Horse With No Name @oldshurst442 You guys are correct, cycle of take off and landing more than age. I should have expanded myself as my brother inlaw is a manager at Boeing with many patents for his specialty which is the airplane engines on the 737, 757, 777, 787 and the king 747. He has stated that the force of the engines cause fatigue in ALL aircrafts that hit 10 years and depending on the flying they have done, passenger versus freight, while a plane can go 20 or 30 years, many should have a very close inspection at 10 years for corrosion, metal fatigue, etc. Could be one reason some airline companies retire their aircraft after 10 years rather than continue to fly them.  Many things make up the age of an aircraft and years is only 1 little part of it, Force makes up a much bigger part.  Thank you for pointing out what I failed to expand on in my original post.
    • G. David Felt
      How to disable AI CoPilot on Windows 11

      By G. David Felt · Posted

      As one who deals with AI daily, building training, coding for data lakes to help others understand their data and what it can do for them, I have come to one reason for turning off copilot, the attempt that it makes over and over in correcting my writing and word use when it does not understand technical terms, legal terms, medical terms and then changes the whole meaning of a sentence due to the changes if I do not catch it. AI bots are great for helping find info on processes and configuration of a product such as our Dell PowerScale OneFS filer or our ObjectScale Object storage devices so that admins can quickly get the instructions on how to configure features. Otherwise, the rest of AI trying to tell me how I should do something makes it annoying and worse yet is the incredible amount of memory / CPU cycles it takes that I would rather use on other things that I do with my computer. Personally, I wish AI bots would not use any resources until I click on it and want it to work, once I close it, it should totally turn off rather than idle in the background listening to you.
    • oldshurst442
      Random Thoughts Thread

      By oldshurst442 · Posted

      Yes and ummmmm...no.  Yes.   Metal fatigue is a very real thing in aviation.  Its more about how many times the sheet metal has expanded and contracted  under stress rather than the age of the airplane itself.  10 years is somewhat too young for an airplane to be retired as airplanes are engineered fly double and even triple that age.  Unless of course the airplane in question has taken off, flown and landed enough times that would equal its maximum lifespan in 10 years.   This latest accident, UPS had a 34 year old McDonnel-Douglas MD-11 flying around.  Now...at 34 years of age, this airplane should been of concern... yes.   Like I said, airplanes' lifespans reach 30 years.  Sometimes more than that if maintenance is done properly and rigorously.   Using google and Wikipedia, if fact, 2 months prior, the airplane in question HAD been grounded for 6 weeks because cracks were found in the fuel tanks. Corrosion was also found in the structural beams in its fuselage. Repairs were made.  However, with airplanes, age is not a criteria for maintenance. But hours of flight and "cycles".   A cycle is 1 take-off and 1 landing sequence.  The airplane had logged 21000 and change cycles and the maintenance threshold for what had ultimately failed in the airplane was not due until 28 000 and 29 000 cycles.  Now...at 34 years old, maybe more vigilance was needed... This is how the airplane safety industry works. It takes an accident to amend and/or instate new safety regulations.  Maybe with this accident, NTSB will implement an age criteria too alongside flight hours and cycles.  At age 30 and a more rigorous inspection is to happen and not rely solely on cycles and flight hours.    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/UPS_Airlines_Flight_2976 The aircraft, N259UP, was a 34-year-old McDonnell Douglas MD-11F with manufacturer serial number 48417. The aircraft was first delivered to Thai Airways International in 1991 with the registration HS-TME,[7] after which it was converted to a cargo aircraft and delivered to UPS Airlines in 2006. It had flown 21,043 cycles and for about 92,992 hours,[8] and was equipped with three General Electric CF6-80C2D1F engines.[9][10][11] The last visual inspections of the left pylon aft mount were performed in October 2021. More rigorous "Special Detailed Inspections" for the mount lugs and wing clevis were not yet due, as the aircraft's 21,043 accumulated cycles were well below the 28,000 and 29,200 cycle thresholds required for those checks. Two months before the crash, it had been grounded for six weeks to repair a cracked fuel tank, and corrosion was later found along two structural beams in the fuselage. The aircraft re-entered service a few weeks before the crash.[12]    

  • Who's Online (See full list)

    • There are no registered users currently online

  • My Clubs

×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

We have placed cookies on your device to help make this website better. You can adjust your cookie settings, otherwise we'll assume you're okay to continue.

Hey there, we noticed you're using an ad-blocker. We're a small site that is supported by ads or subscriptions. We rely on these to pay for server costs and vehicle reviews.  Please consider whitelisting us in your ad-blocker, or if you really like what you see, you can pick up one of our subscriptions for just $1.75 a month or $15 a year. It may not seem like a lot, but it goes a long way to help support real, honest content, that isn't generated by an AI bot.

See you out there.

Drew
Editor-in-Chief

I've whitelisted
Continue without support

Write what you are looking for and press enter or click the search icon to begin your search