Eno’s report on Autonomous Vehicles explores how deployment of robotaxis will affect labor, safety, equity, and vehicle miles traveled. Robotaxis are already operating on roadways in several U.S. cities and deployment is poised to expand. The current costs and technological capabilities of AVs have allowed for deployment in fleets of robotaxis within high-density, geofenced environments. AVs are not currently available as universally capable vehicles for personal ownership.
This paper argues that the high fixed costs to procure or build AVs and create the necessary digital infrastructure for their operations create economic conditions quite different from those of human-driven transportation network company vehicles. Overall, the different cost and capabilities are likely to create a complementary relationship between robotaxis and human TNC drivers, rather than resulting in fully substitutable modes.
