https://blue.feedland.org/?river=http://data.feedland.org/blue/feeds/jhelvy.xml Tue, 22 Oct 2024 19:49:10 GMT feedland v0.6.43 https://cyber.harvard.edu/rss/rss.html Tue, 22 Oct 2024 19:49:11 GMT http://rpc.rsscloud.io:5337/pleaseNotify Tue, October 22, 2024 3:49 PM EDT <p>Will eliminating drivers make #AV robotaxis cheaper? 🚘🚫👩‍💼-&gt; 💰</p> <p>In my recently published paper, coauthored with @JohnHelveston and Lola Nurullaeva, we explore how labor changes might impact the cost of robotaxi services.</p> <p>A 🧵on the study…</p> <p><a href="https://authors.elsevier.com/c/1jwtC%5C_,2CkYo0CR">https://authors.elsevier.com/c/1jwtC\_,2CkYo0CR</a></p> <p>———————————————————————</p> <p>Taxi drivers do a lot more than just drive. We observed &amp; interviewed workers in emerging robotaxi companies and identified previously ignored types of new workers.</p> <p>These services may be driverless but they are not worker-less.</p> <p>———————————————————————</p> <p>We used this new info about robotaxi workers 👩‍🔧🧑🏿‍💻👷🏽‍♂️ &amp; info on the costs of robotaxi technologies 🚘📷to build a ground-up cost model for a robotaxi service and used current taxi data to build a model for a non-av taxi service:r</p> <p>———————————————————————</p> <p>Labor remains a significant cost for robotaxi services, but robotaxi operating costs are still lower than those of taxi services.</p> <p>———————————————————————</p> <p>Robotaxi costs are highly sensitive to labor ratios (how many vehicles each worker supports), but this plateaus pretty quickly. AV firms will have to weigh marginal labor cost reductions against impacts to passengers and workers.</p> <p>———————————————————————</p> <p>Although labor remains an important consideration, utilization rates and annual mileage are the more significant factors determining the competitiveness of robotaxi services.</p> <p>———————————————————————</p> <p>If jobs shift from taxi to robotaxi services, the total number of frontline jobs could decrease by between 57% to 76%, but the distribution of worker wages would shift higher. (Only considering frontline jobs, not total workforce impacts).</p> <p>———————————————————————</p> <p>Key takeaways:</p> <p>1. Labor remains a significant cost for robotaxis</p> <p>2. Robotaxi operating costs still lower than those of traditional taxi services.</p> <p>3. Utilization rates &amp; annual mileage will be limiting factors for robotaxi competitiveness.</p> <p>4. Total # of frontline jobs could decrease</p> <p>———————————————————————</p> <p>As robotaxis expand into more cities, transport planners &amp; researchers need to consider the full operating costs of #AV services and how they might realistically substitute or complement existing services.</p> Tue, 22 Oct 2024 19:49:10 GMT https://blue.feedland.org/?item=695404 https://blue.feedland.org/?item=695404 Will eliminating drivers make #AV robotaxis cheaper? 🚘🚫👩‍💼-> 💰 In my recently published paper, coauthored with @JohnHelveston and Lola Nurullaeva, we explore how labor changes might impact the cost of robotaxi services. A 🧵on the study… https://authors.elsevier.com/c/1jwtC\_,2CkYo0CR ——————————————————————— Taxi drivers do a lot more than just drive. We observed & interviewed workers in emerging robotaxi companies and identified previously ignored types of new workers. These services may be driverless but they are not worker-less. ——————————————————————— We used this new info about robotaxi workers 👩‍🔧🧑🏿‍💻👷🏽‍♂️ & info on the costs of robotaxi technologies 🚘📷to build a ground-up cost model for a robotaxi service and used current taxi data to build a model for a non-av taxi service:r ——————————————————————— Labor remains a significant cost for robotaxi services, but robotaxi operating costs are still lower than those of taxi services. ——————————————————————— Robotaxi costs are highly sensitive to labor ratios (how many vehicles each worker supports), but this plateaus pretty quickly. AV firms will have to weigh marginal labor cost reductions against impacts to passengers and workers. ——————————————————————— Although labor remains an important consideration, utilization rates and annual mileage are the more significant factors determining the competitiveness of robotaxi services. ——————————————————————— If jobs shift from taxi to robotaxi services, the total number of frontline jobs could decrease by between 57% to 76%, but the distribution of worker wages would shift higher. (Only considering frontline jobs, not total workforce impacts). ——————————————————————— Key takeaways: 1\. Labor remains a significant cost for robotaxis 2\. Robotaxi operating costs still lower than those of traditional taxi services. 3\. Utilization rates & annual mileage will be limiting factors for robotaxi competitiveness. 4\. Total # of frontline jobs could decrease ——————————————————————— As robotaxis expand into more cities, transport planners & researchers need to consider the full operating costs of #AV services and how they might realistically substitute or complement existing services.