Robotaxi

A robotaxi, also known as robot taxi, robo-taxi, self-driving taxi or driverless taxi, is an autonomous car (SAE automation level 4 or 5) operated for a ridesharing company.

Some studies have hypothesized that robotaxis operated in an autonomous mobility on demand (AMoD) service could be one of the most rapidly adopted applications of autonomous cars at scale and a major mobility solution, especially in urban areas.[1] Moreover, they could have a very positive impact on road safety, traffic congestion and parking.[2][3][4][5][6] Robotaxis could also reduce urban pollution and energy consumption, since these services will most probably use electric cars[7] and for most of the rides, less vehicle size and range is necessary compared to individually owned vehicles.[8] The expected reduction in number of vehicles means less embodied energy;[9] however energy consumption for redistribution of empty vehicles must be taken into account.[10] Robotaxis would reduce operating costs by eliminating the need for a human driver, which might make it an affordable form of transportation and increase the popularity of transportation-as-a-service (TaaS) as opposed to individual car ownership.[11][12][13][14] Such developments could lead to job destruction[15][16] and new challenges concerning operator liabilities.[17] In 2023, some robotaxis caused congestion when they blocked roads due to lost cellular connectivity, and others failed to properly yield to emergency vehicles.[18] As of 2023 there has been only one fatality associated with a robotaxi, a pedestrian who was hit by an Uber test vehicle in 2018.

Predictions of the widespread and rapid introduction of robotaxis – by as early as 2018 – have not been realized. There are a number of trials underway in cities around the world, some of which are open to the public and generate revenue. However, as of 2021, questions have been raised as to whether the progress of self-driving technology has stalled and whether issues of social acceptance, cybersecurity and cost have been addressed.[19][20]

  1. ^ Ambadipudi, Aditya; Heineke, Kersten; Kampshoff, Philipp; Shao, Emily (4 October 2017). "Gauging the disruptive power of robo-taxis in autonomous driving". McKinsey & Company. Retrieved 1 December 2017.
  2. ^ "Self-Driving Vehicles, Robo-Taxis, and the Urban Mobility Revolution". www.bcgperspectives.com. Retrieved 24 August 2017.
  3. ^ "Ten ways autonomous driving could redefine the automotive world". McKinsey & Company. Retrieved 24 August 2017.
  4. ^ "Download". RethinkX. Retrieved 24 August 2017.
  5. ^ Lee, Timothy B. (17 March 2015). "5 reasons self-driving taxis are going to be amazing". Vox. Retrieved 24 August 2017.
  6. ^ "How shared self-driving cars could change city traffic". International Transport Forum. 31 March 2015.
  7. ^ Walker, Jonathan; Johnson, Charlie (2016). "Peak Car Ownership Report - Rocky Mountain Institute". Rocky Mountain Institute. Rocky Mountain Institute. Archived from the original on 2 December 2017. Retrieved 1 December 2017.
  8. ^ Buschbacher, Harald (16 April 2018). "2-wheel personal rapid transit: Self-driving vehicles for maximum sustainability" (PDF). Proceedings of 7th Transport Research Arena TRA 2018. doi:10.5281/zenodo.1441105.
  9. ^ Spieser, Kevin; Treleaven, Kyle; Zhang, Rick; Frazzoli, Emilio; Morton, Daniel; Pavone, Marco (2014). "Toward a Systematic Approach to the Design and Evaluation of Automated Mobility-on-Demand Systems: A Case Study in Singapore". Road Vehicle Automation. Lecture Notes in Mobility. Springer, Cham. pp. 229–245. doi:10.1007/978-3-319-05990-7_20. hdl:1721.1/82904. ISBN 9783319059891.
  10. ^ Taiebat; Brown; Safford; Qu; Xu (2018). "A Review on Energy, Environmental, and Sustainability Implications of Connected and Automated Vehicles". Environmental Science & Technology. 52 (20): 11449–11465. arXiv:1901.10581. doi:10.1021/acs.est.8b00127. PMID 30192527. S2CID 52174043.
  11. ^ Higgins, Tim (21 June 2017). "The End of Car Ownership". Wall Street Journal. ISSN 0099-9660. Retrieved 24 August 2017.
  12. ^ "Why no one will own a driverless car". Business Insider France (in French). Retrieved 24 August 2017.
  13. ^ Muller, Joann. "The Next Car You Buy Could Be Your Last – The Robo-Taxi Era Is Closer Than You Think". Forbes. Retrieved 24 August 2017.
  14. ^ "It Could Be 10 Times Cheaper To Take Electric Robo-Taxis Than To Own A Car By 2030". Fast Company. 30 May 2017. Retrieved 24 August 2017.
  15. ^ Constine, Josh (18 August 2016). "Jobless in the self-driving economy | TechCrunch". Retrieved 24 August 2017.
  16. ^ "Economic Disaster: The Robo-Taxi is Closer to Reality than You Think". AnonHQ. 26 April 2017. Retrieved 24 August 2017.
  17. ^ Guerra, Alice; Parisi, Francesco; Pi, Daniel (n.d.). "Liability for robots I: legal challenges". Journal of Institutional Economics. 18 (3): 331–343. doi:10.1017/S1744137421000825. hdl:11585/839809. ISSN 1744-1374. S2CID 244675444.
  18. ^ "Robotaxis halt traffic in San Francisco's North Beach day after expansion approval - CBS San Francisco". www.cbsnews.com. 13 August 2023. Retrieved 15 November 2023.
  19. ^ "'Peak hype': why the driverless car revolution has stalled". The Guardian. 4 January 2021. Retrieved 12 July 2021.
  20. ^ "Follow The Money Of Robotaxis: A Massive Market Of Dollars And Obstacles". Forbes. 30 March 2021. Retrieved 12 July 2021.