Self-driving vehicles could spell the end of ride-sharing companies like Uber, Grab, and Lyft so it should come as no surprise that Uber has joined a group that is against you ever owning one. The “Shared Mobility Principles” group sounds good on the surface, supporting such ideals as “livability,” “zero emissions,” and “sustainability” but also includes the following as one of its ten guiding principles:
10. WE SUPPORT THAT AUTONOMOUS VEHICLES (AVS) IN DENSE URBAN AREAS SHOULD BE OPERATED ONLY IN SHARED FLEETS.
According to the group, the proposal that self-driving vehicles should only be available to shared fleets is for the benefit of you: "Shared fleets can provide more affordable access to all, maximize public safety and emissions benefits, ensure that maintenance and software upgrades are managed by professionals, and actualize the promise of reductions in vehicles, parking, and congestion, in line with broader policy trends to reduce the use of personal cars in dense urban areas."
In other words, you can't be trusted to maintain your own self-driving vehicle, and somehow denying individual consumers from buying them will make them more accessible and affordable to everyone.
Or to put it another way, Uber seems worried about a disruptive technology coming in and disrupting its disruptive technology.
Source: Shared Mobility Principles via CEI.org
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