Can Google Dethrone Uber with Real Ride Sharing
Michael Spencer
A.I. Writer, researcher and curator - full-time Newsletter publication manager.
As Uber continues to eye self-driving cars, it's been announced Google will take Uber head-on with its own new ride-sharing service.
With Uber's exit from China, increasing competition from Lyft, who apparently is trying to find a buyer, it's an exciting time for ride-sharing globally.
Alphabet's carpooling program in San Francisco is offering rides at cheaper rates. A pilot program started in May, enables several thousand area workers to connect with fellow commuters.
Using the Waze Carpooling app. Nothing can beat real people working together.
Google acquired Waze in 2013, that offers real-time driving directions based on info from other drivers. This isn't quite your on-demand taxi business like Uber or its crosstown San Francisco rival Lyft, this is more like a crowd-sourced hitchhiking app for the 21st century of social entrepreneurship.
Could Actual Ride Sharing Bust On-Demand Taxi Services?
This may well be the start of a movement that discourages taxi drivers from operating by driving costs down and may point to a stage before society transitions to increasingly automated vehicles and finally the driverless car arrives sometime in the next decade or sooner.
Waze currently charges riders at most 54 cents a mile, less than Uber and Google doesn't take a free. Far removed from an unlicensed taxi app, actual ride-sharing may appeal to consumers and commuters as a more ethical and environmentally friendly option.
Passengers may be ready for a more organic way of commuting that caters to pre-selected large businesses that currently offers its service to Google, Walmart, Adobe among others. Riders are limited to two rides per day: essentially, carpools into and out of the office.
Google's future plans include letting anyone using the Waze app to sign up to be a passenger or driver.
What percentage Google will take of the slice of fares remains to be seen in the future. Waze is already integrated with Lyft in 2016, so Google presumably knows what it's getting into which may challenge the Uber status-quo.
Waze won't vet or employ drivers but really leverages the sharing economy that essentially feels more communal than exploitative.
Waze already have over 60 million users who crowd-source traffic news in real-time.
This isn't exactly a clash of the tech-driven titans some are claiming but will be an interesting ping on how commuters feel about the future of ride-sharing. Carpooling is becoming increasingly common in urban areas around the world, and Alphabet it seems has a decent chance of capitalizing on it while potentially cutting into the on-demand market.
The real competition comes in the race to driverless cars.
Do you feel organic ride-sharing is more ethical in theory than on-demand taxi services? Would you use Waze over Uber?
Tour Optimization Specialist at Education First
8 年Napat Suvidejkosol
Founder @ Lendsqr. Trustee @ Open Banking Nigeria. Experienced Board Leader. Blogging @ dejiolowe.com
8 年There are several ways to skin a cat. With so many cities in the world it's important to note that not one solution will work for everyone. America is a commute country while London as a city isn't too nice to drivers so what works in SF may not work in Berlin. However a universal problem exists: How do I move myself from point A to B quickly, safely and in the most cost effective manner. By the way I really don't know anyone who feel sorry for taxi drivers - they brought this upon themselves.
IT Leader | Digital Strategist | DevOps Leader | Business Digital Thinker | 2x TEDx Speaker |
8 年Carpooling with extra income factor may be an hit idea in India if mapped with easy to use app.
Platform GPS Tracker
8 年Muy buenos días mi estimado, estoy a la orden en plataforma gps tanto vehicular como personal, seria ideal anexar este producto en las bicicletas.
Wholesale TPO Sales
8 年Wow, shocking to here the words that Waze will never vet or employ drivers! Uber has already had its issues in the past with not vetting drivers properly , not having enough insurance to cover etc etc. Google really believes that folks are going to be willing to get in what might be a total strangers car, at least in the beginning and trust that person that they have insurance or even an up to date drivers license and or they are not a felon? This was the issue that the taxi cab companies used to try and eliminate Uber years ago and Uber and its followers fought back and won in many cases because they made the appropriate changes. Does everyone know that there was an app called Taxi Magic before UBER which is now Curb. If u can't beat them join them. I would definetly need to know more about this Google/Waze idea before commenting any more. I personally cannot use Waze, it looks like an old Pac Man game to me, too much going on and if all of these drivers on the road are reporting as they go, they are breaking the law at least in California. No texting and driving folks. It kills people. I believe there is already too much going on in our cars today, I'm for the car that drives itself , maybe a Tesla but they need to make a hybrid/Electric for me to feel comfortable buying that car. Peace