Would you put your car on the robotaxi network?

[Dan203]

Be honest. If FSD was at level 5 today and Tesla offered you the option to add your personal vehicle to the robotaxi network, to make a couple dollars per ride, would you actually do it? Would you feel comfortable having your personal car, that you depend on, driving around on it's own and picking up strangers? To me the risk/reward seems too high and I can’t imagine many people will actually do it.

I could see businesses and entrepreneurs buying cars specifically for this purpose, but I just can’t imagine many regular owners putting their personal vehicles into this system. .

 

[powertoold]

I'd just put it on for 7am to 6pm. Would like to reduce drunk people in my car

 

[shipapotamus]

I’d throw it on there after I move on to another, newer car. But as my primary car? Hell no... Just like I don’t rent my house out to people when I go on vacation. I don’t want to have to take a blacklight to my white seats everyday.

I also find it hard to believe people who are buying 50k+ luxury cars now are doing so because they will feel inclined to use it for extra income as an Uber.

 

[Discoducky]

Of course, the car will pay for itself very quickly and then be free cash flow with little overhead. I'm guessing about $1000/month/car. I feel like this is a no brainier. It's free money

 

[Rockster]

The question was “ Would I put my personal car on the network?” That’s most definitely a “no.” I care too much about the condition of my personal car for that.

Now, would I put on the robotaxi network a car that I purchased just for that purpose? Definitely.

 

[buyleonard]

Only for friends and relatives

 

[Fred42]

Be honest. If FSD was at level 5 today and Tesla offered you the option to add your personal vehicle to the robotaxi network, to make a couple dollars per ride, would you actually do it? Would you feel comfortable having your personal car, that you depend on, driving around on it's own and picking up strangers? To me the risk/reward seems too high and I can’t imagine many people will actually do it.

I could see businesses and entrepreneurs buying cars specifically for this purpose, but I just can’t imagine many regular owners putting their personal vehicles into this system. .

No way. Dirt, vomit, exacto knife, a little present between the seats for the cops to find when I'm driving it. Dumbest idea ever.

 

[DanCar]

... If FSD was at level 5 today ... .

FSD won't be at level 5 for next ten years. Level 4 will work. Yes I would assuming I can have some assurances of only high class people in the car. Perhaps by charging extra.

 

[Green Pete]

Yes. I would put my 3 and my y on the network 24-7 and buy another y for myself. When the first two pay themselves off I'll buy another Tesla and put my 2nd y on the network as well.

Continue until I die.

 

[Webeevdrivers]

No. Wait. HELL NO.

 

[t3sl4drvr]

Sure. But would choose such setting that would minimize chance of drunk people. The problems are quite obvious and will surely be solved to some extent by Tesla with insurance & tiered customers.

Here is an interesting post estimating profit from Model 3 to be around $30k / year.

 

[Dan203]

FSD won't be at level 5 for next ten years. Level 4 will work. Yes I would assuming I can have some assurances of only high class people in the car. Perhaps by charging extra.

The whole idea of the robotaxi network was that it would cheap because there would be no need to pay a driver.

 

[Dan203]

Yes. I would put my 3 and my y on the network 24-7 and buy another y for myself. When the first two pay themselves off I'll buy another Tesla and put my 2nd y on the network as well.

Continue until I die.

I specifically asked if you'd be willing to put your personal car on the network. Not a car you bought specifically for that purpose.

I understand the business case for buying a car specifically to act as a robotaxi. I just don’t think many people will actually be willing to send out their personal cars to drive strangers around while they're at work or sleeping. Which was a main talking point behind Elon's "appreciating asset" comment.

 

[DrDabbles]

Absolutely not. No matter how good FSD gets, people are the problem.

a little present between the seats for the cops to find when I'm driving it

Nobody's spending their hard earned money to give you free drugs or guns, just to give it to the cops.

When the first two pay themselves off I'll buy another Tesla and put my 2nd y on the network as well.

You can do this today. It's called a Taxi, and they seem fairly effective. Once other users put cars into an autonomous network, and once Tesla puts cars in your area, AND once other autonomous companies come around, it's a race to the pricing bottom and you'll be upside down on vehicles.

 

[NJEV-Don]

No way. Dirt, vomit, exacto knife, a little present between the seats for the cops to find when I'm driving it. Dumbest idea ever.

Nope. I don’t think so. Unless I had the ability to have this car solely for that purpose I too wouldn’t like it. I’m too anal about keeping my cars clean and in tip top physical condition. It’s like a rental property we have that we also enjoy off season. I had to divorce myself from thinking about it as a second home due to the way people disrespected, broke or stole things. I sleep easier knowing that’s how people are and now it’s better for me to think of it purely as a business venture. I love my new Tesla way too much to turn it over to strangers to disrespect and abuse it to make some money. If I had the funds to buy another Tesla for that sole person then maybe.

 

[DanCar]

The whole idea of the robotaxi network was that it would cheap because there would be no need to pay a driver.

It can be cheap and at the same time some people charging extra for premium vehicle.

 

[Dan203]

It can be cheap and at the same time some people charging extra for premium vehicle.

But if it's just relatively expensive, compared to something super cheap, then that could just mean a few extra dollars. Would you really risk your personal vehicle for a few dollars?

I wouldn’t

 

[DanCar]

But if it's just relatively expensive, compared to something super cheap, then that could just mean a few extra dollars. Would you really risk your personal vehicle for a few dollars?

I wouldn’t

I don't mind helping high quality people. Although would be great if there were more cameras inside the vehicle, in case a seat got torn, and would be obvious who did it.

 

[Dan203]

Even if you knew exactly who did it you'd have to sue them in civil court, and even if you win good luck collecting.

The hassle alone of dealing with damage is a major deterrent.

 

[andrewFW]

Voted no for many of the reasons already mentioned. People don't treat things that they don't own with respect. It's the same reason I wouldn't purchase a rental car, even though they have been serviced/maintained on rigorous schedules with paperwork to back it up.

Also, if my car becomes a source of income any more important to me than beer money, it being taken out of service halfway through the night due to vomit means I wake up to half income (and a mess to clean up), which results either in me suddenly becoming a professional vomit cleaner in my spare time (no thanks) or hiring someone to be a professional vomit cleaner, which changes the economics of the whole thing.

tl;dr: I have a job, I'm not interested in running a side hustle, and driving is only one part of the labor capital that makes up a taxi service.