The next big step for Uber is to get involved in the self-driving car market. It has no choice but to go this route, and the company has already walked down this road with a small fleet of self-driving cars that are capable of carrying commuters from one location to the next.
But Uber is not stopping there, the company is planning a fleet of self-driving trucks as well, and has already kicked off a successful trial. We understand that Uber Technologies Inc. and Anheuser-Busch InBev NV, teamed up on the trial, and since it turned out to be a good move, we expect more partnerships from both companies.
First Commercial Shipment Of Self-Driving Vehicle
According to a report from Bloomberg, the Uber truck delivered 50,000 cans of Budweiser beer without human intervention. This is the first commercial shipment a self-driving vehicle has ever made, and no doubt as time goes by, we'll be seeing more of this happening.
During the drive, a police cruiser was nearby keeping an eye on things. The truck cruised more than 120 miles and during this time, the driver was in the back hanging out, probably having a nap or drinking a cup of Chinese tea.
Here's the thing, the technology used inside Uber's self-driving truck comes from Otto, a self-driving vehicle group the company acquired a while back. One could say this was a proof of concept, and it works really well.
"We wanted to show that the basic building blocks of the technology are here; we have the capability of doing that on a highway," said Lior Ron, the president and cofounder of Uber's Otto unit. "We are still in the development stages, iterating on the hardware and software."
Potential Savings
As for AB InBev, the company believes it can save $50 million per year in the United States, and that's just the amount coming from fuel cost savings and more frequent deliveries. Drivers will still be present, but only for the short term. As time goes by, the technology should achieve maturity to travel without supervision.
At the end of the day, Uber has a long way to go before it can proudly say its self-driving tech is ready for prime time. Recent reports have claimed that the company's self-driving cars drove the wrong way on a one-way street. No one wants this happening on public streets, so the company needs to improve.
For those who are looking to get into an Uber self-driving taxi, bear in mind you'll be waiving your rights to sue should injury occur via an accident.
