Waymo's Pricey Rides Are Still Stealing Uber, Lyft Customers

Alphabet, Inc. GOOG GOOGL Waymo's robotaxi rides are more expensive than catching a ride from Uber Technologies, Inc. UBER or Lyft, Inc. LYFT, yet demand remains high despite the higher prices.

What To Know: Recent data collected by the Obi app — which tracks real-time pricing and wait times for multiple ride-hailing services — was shared with TechCrunch and revealed that Waymo rides were the most expensive.

The data showed that in San Francisco, Lyft offered the lowest average fare at $14.44, Uber was next at $15.58 and Waymo averaged $20.43 per ride over a month-long period.

Even at peak times, Waymo's rides were about $11 more expensive than Lyft and nearly $9.50 more than Uber.

The pricing gap is particularly notable for short trips, with Waymo's shortest rides costing 41% more than Uber and 31% more than Lyft for trips under 1.4 km. The difference narrows as ride distances increase, but Waymo still charges more per kilometer than its rivals.

Despite these higher costs, Waymo continues to attract riders. Surveys indicate that many users prefer the experience of riding in a driverless car, with 70% of those who have tried Waymo saying they prefer it over traditional rideshares or taxis.

In fact, a significant percentage of riders are willing to pay extra for Waymo, with about 16% saying they'd pay up to $10 more per ride, suggesting that novelty, comfort and the appeal of riding alone are strong selling points

"There's something about being in the car alone" that is attracting riders, Ashwini Anburajan, Obi's chief revenue officer, told TechCrunch.

“It is there for you to, like, kind of live in a little bubble and get from point A to point B, and be very comfortable doing so."

Read Next: