When and from whom will there be self-driving cars?

Uber / Otto

Back in March, Uber “gathered leaders” from the company’s self-driving car departments in Pittsburgh and San Francisco for a “critical summit.” At which point, Recode reported that the project may be at a technological standstill and “plagued by internal tension.” Then, Alphabet – Google’s parent company, who is developing a self-driving car with Waymo, sued Uber for stealing key intellectual property related to the LIDAR technology. (Experts consider laser scanning LIDAR technology to be crucial to the success of totally autonomous cars.)

Uber has been big on showing off with “public demonstrations,” most of which have been subsequently marred by stories of computer malfunction and bad rider experiences. The company bought Otto, a self-driving car and truck company, and has partnered with Daimler, though generally the project appears to be a mess.

Where does it rank? 16th. Uber scores well in almost nothing. Low grades on distribution, product portfolio and staying power and, according to Wired, “because Uber makes neither cars nor money.”

When can you ride? You may have better luck pinning your Uber-hopes to flying cars in 2020.

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