Uber revives self-driving program

Yahoo Finance Live anchors discuss why Uber is bringing back its self-driving program.

Video transcript

[AUDIO LOGO]

BRIAN SOZZI: All right, Uber is reviving its self-driving vehicle plan after selling its autonomous driving research division. Uber signed a 10-year deal with Motional to add self-driving cars to its vehicle lineup. The self-driving cars would work for both Uber and Uber Eats in several US cities upon launch. Still no details on where all-- where that will be.

And you know, I recently saw some of my first self-driving cars out in San Francisco. I know, some-- you know, going to New York, going to another place. And I think it was a Zoox. I just-- I can't see how these are the future.

BRAD SMITH: Oh, yeah.

BRIAN SOZZI: You still have a driver behind them. And I still ordered Uber. I didn't order a Zoox. But they look cool. That's all you got for me.

BRAD SMITH: Yeah.

JULIE HYMAN: Yeah, it seems like it's really early stages. I mean, regulations, like nothing is there yet.

BRAD SMITH: Yeah, I've interviewed the CEO of Zoox and the founder of Zoox before, and of course, all of those companies that you lump together there, between Zoox, between Waymo, and then even for Uber and some of their driverless technology, it's all gonna be dependent upon how well they're also able to license that out to some other companies that want to take advantage of it in the future, too.

But again, a lot of red tape that they've got to get through. And then additionally, when you think of the customer and how this is able-- going to be able to cut down costs for the customer as well as the company--

[BUZZER BUZZING]

--operating costs per mile, north of $1.00, this could perhaps bring it below $0.40.

BRIAN SOZZI: Very good.