Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi says self-driving on his Tesla is 'delightful' and welcomes Elon Musk's competition in autonomous taxis
Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi says there is plenty of money to go around in the robotaxi space.
AP Photo/Markus Schreiber
- Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi revealed that he drives a Tesla.
- "Great car," Khosrowshahi said while praising the vehicle's self-driving capabilities.
- As for his company, Khosrowshahi isn't worried about Tesla robotaxis.
Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi said on Friday that he isn't sweating Elon Musk's robotaxis.
"I don't think that there will be a winner-take-all," Khosrowshahi told Semafor editor-in-chief Ben Smith during the publication's World Economic Summit in Washington.
"The drama is winner-take-all, but I think that the transportation industry is a trillion-plus-dollar industry," he said. "You could argue that rideshare is going to finally beat personal car ownership in a world where you've got robots driving all over the place, so I think there will be plenty of room in the industry."
Khosrowshahi said Uber would "love to work with" Musk's company. He also revealed that he owns a Tesla.
"Great car," Khosrowshahi said.
Asked if he has tried full self-driving, Khosrowshahi responded, "It is delightful, but I have to take over every once in a while. It is an absolutely great product. Again, the car is a terrific car."
Musk isn't playing as nicely with his competitors in the autonomous taxi space. Earlier this week, Musk took a shot at Waymo during Tesla's Q1 earnings call.
Musk said the problem with Alphabet's robotaxis is that they cost "way mo' money."
Waymo's ex-CEO brushed off the insult.
"Tesla has never competed with Waymo — they've never sold a robotaxi ride to a public rider, but they've sold a lot of cars," John Krafcik said in an email to Business Insider.
Uber and Waymo are partnering on autonomous ride-hailing in Austin and Atlanta. Tesla is aiming to roll out a "pilot" robotaxi service in Austin in June.