You’d expect a self-driving Jaguar to cost more than an Uber. But a recent Waymo ride in Los Angeles showed the opposite, and a recent TikTok clip raises the question about what’s behind the price difference.
TikToker and at least somewhat frequent San Francisco resident Parpude (@parpude) posed the question in a clip filmed during a recent Waymo ride in Los Angeles. Her caption notes that similar rides cost more in the Bay Area, leaving her curious as to the economics and market forces at play.
Waymo in Los Angeles
Waymo began offering commercial, fully autonomous rides in several U.S. cities through its “Waymo One” program. The company uses the all-electric Jaguar I‑PACE as one of its core robotaxi vehicles, thanks to a strategic partnership with Jaguar Land Rover dating back to 2018.
According to Waymo, it currently has about 1,500 of those I-PACE vehicles operating across San Francisco, Los Angeles, Phoenix, and Austin, with plans to add more than 2,000 additional units by 2026. In Los Angeles, this means a driverless, EV-powered ride is a real option for consumers today…