# How Uber Wasted $2.5 Billion on Self-Driving Cars



## Oscar Levant (Aug 15, 2014)

If Uber had consulted me at the beginning, I could have saved them $2.5 billion, because all I did was imagine one thing --- that the variables a machine has to overcome to drive well, well, the numbers of variables are close to infinite, so I can't see a digital devices conquering an analog world were it encounters variables. All it takes is one thing programmers haven't thought of ( and there will ALWAYS be those ) during a critical moment, and it could kill you. That is why the whole thing seemed like a boondoggle, to me, false analogies of the development of the motorcar versus the horse and buggy ( false comparison due to the simple fact that both are controlled by humans ) notwithstanding. That being said, Waymo is reporting success, so, I'm not expert.

https://www.theinformation.com/arti...-uber-wasted-2-5-billion-on-self-driving-cars
_After spending billions to develop a self-driving car, Uber is nowhere close to getting a car that can drive reliably for any length of time. Meanwhile, the unit is riven by infighting. Critics question why CEO Dara Khosrowshahi hasn't held the team accountable._


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## IthurstwhenIP (Jan 12, 2018)

Hmmm. Look at the bank accounts of the Uber executives....heck even the engineers and staff. Money was wasted only if you consider hookers, drugs, gambling, exotic sports cars and more hookers as wasted money.


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## dmoney155 (Jun 12, 2017)

Uber is as efficient doing r&d as the driver roaming around empty looking for pings.


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## RavenK (Sep 28, 2020)

Uber’s annual revenue is 14 bil, what else will they use 20% of a years earning, pay the employees more!?

The corporate is trying their hardest earning more so if that means eliminating the driver, they will continue chasing this dream


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## goneubering (Aug 17, 2017)

Oscar Levant said:


> If Uber had consulted me at the beginning, I could have saved them $2.5 billion, because all I did was imagine one thing --- that the variables a machine has to overcome to drive well, well, the numbers of variables are close to infinite, so I can't see a digital devices conquering an analog world were it encounters variables. All it takes is one thing programmers haven't thought of ( and there will ALWAYS be those ) during a critical moment, and it could kill you. That is why the whole thing seemed like a boondoggle, to me, false analogies of the development of the motorcar versus the horse and buggy ( false comparison due to the simple fact that both are controlled by humans ) notwithstanding. That being said, Waymo is reporting success, so, I'm not expert.
> 
> https://www.theinformation.com/arti...-uber-wasted-2-5-billion-on-self-driving-cars
> _After spending billions to develop a self-driving car, Uber is nowhere close to getting a car that can drive reliably for any length of time. Meanwhile, the unit is riven by infighting. Critics question why CEO Dara Khosrowshahi hasn't held the team accountable._


Uber needs to shut down this failure of a division and sign a deal with Waymo or Cruise who are the leaders in SDC.


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## jocker12 (May 11, 2017)

RavenK said:


> Uber's annual revenue is 14 bil, what else will they use 20% of a years earning, pay the employees more!?
> 
> The corporate is trying their hardest earning more so if that means eliminating the driver, they will continue chasing this dream


Problem is their annual expenses are $16 billion, so they are $2 billion in the hole. So far they've spent $20 billion investor money only to stay afloat.


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## TheDevilisaParttimer (Jan 2, 2019)

Incorrect. Having a stake in self driving cars (no matter how fledgling) rose Uber's valuation with investors. 

Uber's valuation is based almost entirely on it being a tech stock. The moment Wallstreet sways and views Uber as a cab company it's valuation would fall to 1/4 current estimates.


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## Kurt Halfyard (Dec 13, 2017)

Oscar Levant said:


> If Uber had consulted me at the beginning, I could have saved them $2.5 billion, because all I did was imagine one thing --- that the variables a machine has to overcome to drive well, well, the numbers of variables are close to infinite, so I can't see a digital devices conquering an analog world were it encounters variables. All it takes is one thing programmers haven't thought of ( and there will ALWAYS be those ) during a critical moment, and it could kill you. That is why the whole thing seemed like a boondoggle, to me, false analogies of the development of the motorcar versus the horse and buggy ( false comparison due to the simple fact that both are controlled by humans ) notwithstanding. That being said, Waymo is reporting success, so, I'm not expert.
> 
> https://www.theinformation.com/arti...-uber-wasted-2-5-billion-on-self-driving-cars
> _After spending billions to develop a self-driving car, Uber is nowhere close to getting a car that can drive reliably for any length of time. Meanwhile, the unit is riven by infighting. Critics question why CEO Dara Khosrowshahi hasn't held the team accountable._


I hit the paywall at 80 miles an hour...


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## Stevie The magic Unicorn (Apr 3, 2018)

dmoney155 said:


> Uber is as efficient doing r&d as the driver roaming around empty looking for pings.


No...

That strategy WILL actually get you pings...


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## Amos69 (May 17, 2019)

IthurstwhenIP said:


> Hmmm. Look at the bank accounts of the Uber executives....heck even the engineers and staff. Money was wasted only if you consider hookers, drugs, gambling, exotic sports cars and more hookers as wasted money.


_I never consider money on those things wasted!_


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## jocker12 (May 11, 2017)

goneubering said:


> Uber needs to shut down this failure of a division and sign a deal with Waymo or Cruise who are the leaders in SDC.


The only way Uber has beaten its competition was by buying it. Licensing would bury Uber and their market domination/monopoly dreams. The only deal they could get is on faulty software, when the product manufacturer would prefer to let Uber take the fall.

Otherwise, "Uber is seeking strategic alternatives for its Uber Elevate business, including strategic partnerships or a partial sale".
https://www.axios.com/uber-elevate-...ves-a507fdff-9ab0-41a3-9562-06d36498823a.html
More popcorn, please!

Edit. Oh, by the way. Uber is very close to get those 24.000 Volvo self-driving cars they've ordered back in 2017. 
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-volvocars-uber-idUSKBN1DK1NH
Hahahaha...


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## goneubering (Aug 17, 2017)

jocker12 said:


> The only way Uber has beaten its competition was by buying it. Licensing would bury Uber and their market domination/monopoly dreams. The only deal they could get is on faulty software, when the product manufacturer would prefer to let Uber take the fall.
> 
> Otherwise, "Uber is seeking strategic alternatives for its Uber Elevate business, including strategic partnerships or a partial sale".
> https://www.axios.com/uber-elevate-...ves-a507fdff-9ab0-41a3-9562-06d36498823a.html
> ...


Hahahaha!! Poor Volvo.


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## Alantc (Jun 15, 2018)

Self driving cars are ok but they won't work everywhere, there will always be a need for drivers. Just not as many


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## TheDevilisaParttimer (Jan 2, 2019)

Anybody else seeing the self driving floor buffer in grocery stores?


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## Stevie The magic Unicorn (Apr 3, 2018)

TheDevilisaParttimer said:


> Anybody else seeing the self driving floor buffer in grocery stores?


I tripped over one of them lol,

kinda not proving your point


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## TheDevilisaParttimer (Jan 2, 2019)

Stevie The magic Unicorn said:


> I tripped over one of them lol,
> 
> kinda not proving your point


Oh, I wasn't trying to make any point. It just surprised me when I seen one at kroger.

The one I seen was a full sized buffer just no one in driver's seat. Im not sure how accurate it is, I didn't stand in front of it.


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## goneubering (Aug 17, 2017)

Stevie The magic Unicorn said:


> I tripped over one of them lol,
> 
> kinda not proving your point


Haha!!!! True story??


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## Stevie The magic Unicorn (Apr 3, 2018)

goneubering said:


> Haha!!!! True story??


I was squeezing past a pile of boxes a stocker was putting up and i didn't think the floor buffer was on and ran right into it when it started moving and fell on my ass.


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## goneubering (Aug 17, 2017)

Stevie The magic Unicorn said:


> I was squeezing past a pile of boxes a stocker was putting up and i didn't think the floor buffer was on and ran right into it when it started moving and fell on my ass.


Lawsuit against the robot??!!


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## wallae (Jun 11, 2018)

Hertz has 1 million driverless cars
I wonder how come there’s stock is not as high as Tesla😂


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