• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia

Trendingnow

1

Jeff Bezos wants the bottom half of earners to pay zero income tax—he says nurses making just $75K should save $12K a year

2

Indeed chief economist says we’re entering an era of ‘great mismatch’ thanks to a generational imbalance of workers

3

Microsoft reports are exposing AI's real cost problem: Using the tech is more expensive than paying human employees

1

Jeff Bezos wants the bottom half of earners to pay zero income tax—he says nurses making just $75K should save $12K a year

2

Indeed chief economist says we’re entering an era of ‘great mismatch’ thanks to a generational imbalance of workers

3

Microsoft reports are exposing AI's real cost problem: Using the tech is more expensive than paying human employees
TechTesla

Uber and Lyft are the big winners from Tesla’s underwhelming Cybercab reveal

Sasha Rogelberg
By
Sasha Rogelberg
Sasha Rogelberg
Reporter
Down Arrow Button Icon
Sasha Rogelberg
By
Sasha Rogelberg
Sasha Rogelberg
Reporter
Down Arrow Button Icon
October 11, 2024, 2:24 PM ET
Dara Khosrowshahi smile with his hands clasped in front of him.
Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi may benefit from Tesla's Cybercab struggles, analysts say.Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

After years of anticipation, Tesla revealed its first pair of robotaxis, the sedan-like Cybercab and larger Robovan, on Thursday night—but the event failed to instill confidence in investors, which is great news for rideshare companies like Uber and Lyft. On Friday, the day after Elon Musk’s big event, Lyft shares were up over 9%, and Uber shares catapulted 8%, Meanwhile, Tesla’s stock is down over 7%.

Recommended Video

Musk teased the robotaxi in 2019, promising a fleet of “over a million robo-taxis on the road” by 2020. After numerous delays on unveiling the autonomous rideshare vehicle, Musk’s Thursday reveal of the Cybercab featured plenty of lofty promises—including its sub-$30,000 price tag—but was light on a concrete plan on how to fulfill them.

“The presentation lacked many of the details people were looking for,” Wells Fargo analyst Colin Langan told Fortune. “And the demos were very short and in a very low complexity environment.”

Investors were looking for a clear understanding of the Cybercab’s vision-only strategy, which differs from the Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) sensors used by other autonomous vehicles, Langan said. The short presentation also took place on a Warner Bros movie studio set, not an open road, which limited the car’s ability to show off true driving capabilities. Musk said in his presentation his goal is to have robotaxis on the road before 2027, but admitted he has a tendency to be “a little optimistic” on the car’s timeline. Tesla did not respond to Fortune’s request for comment.

Tesla’s autonomous driving service has posed a threat to rideshare companies, which have largely coexisted as a duopoly in the U.S. market. With an affordable build cost compared to conventional rideshare services, a robotaxi would be significantly cheaper to operate than a human rideshare service.

Uber has its own autonomous rideshare investments, including partnerships with Alphabet’s Waymo and General Motors’s Cruise LLC. However, Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi warned earlier this week the margins for its autonomous service would take years to grow, making it vulnerable to competition like Tesla.

But with Tesla’s plans for its own fleet of self-driving taxis losing investor confidence, the scales may have once again tipped in Lyft and Uber’s favor.

“We consider the event a best-case outcome for Uber,” John Colantuoni, an analyst at Jefferies, said in a recent note, giving a buy rating for the rideshare giant.

Rideshare economics

Rideshare companies’ ability to stave off competition from Tesla will hinge on the operating costs of autonomous vehicles. Companies like General Motors are burning billions of dollars annually on robotaxi projects to find a way to make them economically sustainable.

“People are starting to realize that this could be a long horizon,” Langan said. “A lot of cash may be deployed over that period, and they’re trying to sort of brace [for] and understand that risk.” 

One Waymo car is worth about $200,000, which includes both the vehicle itself and its LiDAR technology. Its exorbitant deployment costs are far more expensive than a human rideshare and have prevented it from becoming competitive in the autonomous rideshare market, according to Wells Fargo analyst Ken Gawrelski.

“Waymo is on the hearts and minds of rideshare investors,” Gawrelski told Fortune. “It doesn’t present the same risk that Tesla could potentially, and the reason is that Waymo vehicles today are still very expensive to produce.”

While Tesla’s lackluster Cybercab and Robovan presentation may have assuaged some of the anxieties around Uber’s and Lyft’s immediate future, those legacy rideshare companies will be watching closely to see if Tesla can fulfill its $30,000 robotaxi promise. 

“That’s what would potentially make it so scary for public market investors,” Gawrelski said.

Tesla should be taken more seriously if and when it launches talks to acquire a third-party insurance provider, which would provide safety data and insure rides as Waymo and Uber and Lyft do. While Musk announced plans to put self-driving cars on the roads of California and Texas next year, Gawrelski warned that until there’s material evidence of those debuts, Tesla’s threat of disrupting the rideshare industry will remain abstract.

“Putting an actual date and a city on those launches would be a significant development,” he said.

Join our exclusive webinar on May 28, featuring tech leaders from Orange, Mars, Reckitt, and Saint-Gobain. Apply to attend and receive Fortune’s editorial takeaways.
About the Author
Sasha Rogelberg
By Sasha RogelbergReporter
LinkedIn iconTwitter icon

Sasha Rogelberg is a reporter and former editorial fellow on the news desk at Fortune, covering retail and the intersection of business and popular culture.

See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon

Latest in Tech

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025

Most Popular

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Fortune Secondary Logo
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • World's Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
  • Lists Calendar
Sections
  • Finance
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Features
  • Leadership
  • Health
  • Commentary
  • Success
  • Retail
  • Mpw
  • Tech
  • Lifestyle
  • CEO Initiative
  • Asia
  • Politics
  • Conferences
  • Europe
  • Newsletters
  • Personal Finance
  • Environment
  • Magazine
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
  • Group Subscriptions
About Us
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Facebook icon
  • Twitter icon
  • LinkedIn icon
  • Instagram icon
  • Pinterest icon

Latest in Tech

w
Environmentclimate change
The asphalt industry has a heat problem — and cities are running out of patience
By Aya Diab, Alexa St. John and The Associated PressMay 23, 2026
3 hours ago
SpaceX’s third-generation Starship, which NASA may use to put astronauts on the moon, makes debut in test flight ahead of blockbuster IPO
InnovationSpaceX
SpaceX’s third-generation Starship, which NASA may use to put astronauts on the moon, makes debut in test flight ahead of blockbuster IPO
By Marcia Dunn and The Associated PressMay 23, 2026
4 hours ago
Is a college degree still worth it? Here are 3 things it can teach you that AI can’t do
Future of WorkColleges and Universities
Is a college degree still worth it? Here are 3 things it can teach you that AI can’t do
By Jake AngeloMay 23, 2026
5 hours ago
Ashley Yetman
Commentarydisruption
Everyone is blaming AI for the death of ‘craft.’ Take a good look in the mirror
By Ashley YetmanMay 23, 2026
7 hours ago
Josh Smith, founder of Montana Knife Company.
SuccessEntrepreneurs
This 39-year-old quit his lineman job during the pandemic and built a $50 million company in his backyard
By Nick LichtenbergMay 23, 2026
8 hours ago
Jon McNeill
SuccessCareers
Former Tesla president shares the secret to success he learned from his former boss, Elon Musk: ‘He demands to only work with world-class talent’
By Preston ForeMay 23, 2026
9 hours ago

Most Popular

Jeff Bezos wants the bottom half of earners to pay zero income tax—he says nurses making just $75K should save $12K a year
Success
Jeff Bezos wants the bottom half of earners to pay zero income tax—he says nurses making just $75K should save $12K a year
By Preston ForeMay 21, 2026
2 days ago
Indeed chief economist says we’re entering an era of ‘great mismatch’ thanks to a generational imbalance of workers
Success
Indeed chief economist says we’re entering an era of ‘great mismatch’ thanks to a generational imbalance of workers
By Emma BurleighMay 22, 2026
1 day ago
Microsoft reports are exposing AI's real cost problem: Using the tech is more expensive than paying human employees
AI
Microsoft reports are exposing AI's real cost problem: Using the tech is more expensive than paying human employees
By Jake AngeloMay 22, 2026
1 day ago
Apple’s Steve Wozniak says he cofounded the tech giant after 5 rejections from HP—not to ‘make money.’ For years, his paycheck was just $50
Success
Apple’s Steve Wozniak says he cofounded the tech giant after 5 rejections from HP—not to ‘make money.’ For years, his paycheck was just $50
By Preston ForeMay 22, 2026
1 day ago
Bolt CEO says he let go of his entire HR team for creating problems that didn’t exist: ‘Those problems disappeared when I let them go’ 
Workplace Culture
Bolt CEO says he let go of his entire HR team for creating problems that didn’t exist: ‘Those problems disappeared when I let them go’ 
By Preston ForeMay 19, 2026
4 days ago
Current price of oil as of May 22, 2026
Personal Finance
Current price of oil as of May 22, 2026
By Joseph HostetlerMay 22, 2026
1 day ago

© 2026 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.