Uber's president and COO predicts that within 15 to 20 years, car ownership and driver's licenses will become obsolete.
He cites the car as the most inefficient asset, sitting idle 98% of the day.
What happened
Uber's president and COO Andrew Macdonald predicted that in 15 to 20 years, nobody will own a car or have a driver's license, with autonomous vehicles, bikes, scooters, and public transportation replacing personal car ownership.
Why it matters
Macdonald argues the individually owned car is "the most inefficient asset that anyone owns," sitting idle 98% of the day, depreciating, and carrying high operating costs. He notes new vehicle prices have soared 30% over the last six years.
What to watch
Uber has abandoned its own self-driving fleet plans and now partners with companies including Waymo and Waabi to bring autonomous vehicles onto its network. Uber's CEO Dara Khosrowshahi also predicts that within 15 to 20 years, most trips could be fulfilled by robots.
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The prediction from Uber's president and COO Andrew Macdonald comes amid a broader industry shift toward autonomous vehicles. He argues that with new vehicle prices soaring 30% over the last six years and cars sitting idle 98% of the day, the economics of personal car ownership no longer make sense. This aligns with the company's pivot from developing its own self-driving fleet to partnering with companies like Waymo and Waabi.
Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi has echoed this vision, predicting that within 15 to 20 years, most trips could be fulfilled by robots. The disruption is already taking shape in major cities, with Uber paying drivers to train AI models and Lyft paying former drivers to wash autonomous vehicles. Macdonald's own background—14 years at Uber, having joined in 2012, and being the company's longest-tenured active employee—adds weight to his views on the future of mobility.
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