Gain a deep understanding of market selection, fleet optimization, and the pricing strategies AV companies must master to dominate the ride-hailing landscape.
Across the U.S., autonomous vehicles from companies like Waymo, Zoox, and Cybercab are preparing to disrupt traditional ride-hailing. Our in-depth report explores how these AV firms must address market selection, optimize fleet efficiency, and navigate complex pricing strategies to reshape urban mobility.
Pricing remains the single biggest factor determining whether autonomous ride-hailing can replace traditional car ownership. According to our analysis, AV companies must achieve an average price below $1 per mile to effectively compete and scale.
Today, traditional ride-hailing averages above $2 per mile, constrained by labor costs and operational inefficiencies. Autonomous fleets, free from driver-related expenses, have the potential—but must significantly optimize costs to reach this critical threshold.
Current ride-hail pricing
per mile
Required AV ride-hail price
per mile
Autonomous vehicle firms must deeply understand price-per-mile variations across cities nationwide. Pricing can vary widely—with customers in cities like Seattle paying over twice as much per mile compared to riders in Houston.
This city-level insight is essential for AV companies looking to strategically select new markets, optimize fleet deployment, and maximize profitability as they scale operations.
Ride-hailing demand and pricing fluctuate significantly depending on the time and day—peak periods can see prices spike over twice the daily average.
Autonomous vehicle firms must carefully manage these fluctuations to optimize fleet deployment and real time pricing strategies.
Ride-hailing demand and pricing fluctuate significantly depending on the time and day—peak periods can see prices spike over twice the daily average.
Autonomous vehicle firms must carefully manage these fluctuations to optimize fleet deployment and real time pricing strategies.
Autonomous vehicle fleets must achieve a dead-mile efficiency of 12%-15% to operate profitably at scale. However, current ride-hailing fleets across major cities consistently average 20–22% in dead miles.
Dead mile %
Kansas City, KS
Dead mile %
Raleigh, NC
Dead mile %
Chicago, IL
Dead mile %
New York City, NY
Dead mile %
Los Angeles, CA
Bottom line: Autonomous vehicles are reshaping the future of ride-hailing. However, these firms face significant challenges from pricing strategies to fleet efficiency and market selection.
Our comprehensive report delivers actionable insights to help you navigate the autonomous era successfully.
In our full report, you’ll learn:
