Uber predicts decades-long delay for autonomous vehicles in Brazil and India

Uber COO Andrew Macdonald stated that the integration of autonomous vehicles into the company’s global operations will face significant delays in emerging markets, specifically Brazil and India. Due to lower average fares—ranging from US$ 2.50 to US$ 4.00 in these regions—Macdonald noted it could take decades for autonomous technology to become cost-competitive with human drivers.

While Uber performs approximately 300 million trips per week, autonomous rides currently account for only a few million per month, representing a tiny fraction of the total business. Macdonald addressed criticisms regarding Uber's lack of an in-house autonomous vehicle project, explaining that the company sold its autonomous unit, ATG, during the pandemic when gross revenue dropped by 84% in three weeks.

Looking forward, Macdonald expressed that the market will accommodate multiple winners and indicated that Uber hopes to integrate vehicles from competitors like Waymo and Tesla into its platform.