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Ford Exec Predicts 4-Year Life for Robo Taxis
Autonomous ride-hailing vehicles likely will have to be replaced about every four years due to high usage rates, according to a Ford Motor Co. executive.
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Autonomous ride-hailing vehicles likely will have to be replaced about every four years due to high usage rates, according to a Ford Motor Co. executive.
Around-the-clock fleet applications will “exhaust and crush” self-driving cars, John Rich, who heads Ford’s Autonomous Vehicles operations, tells The Telegraph. He dismisses forecasts that the advent of self-driving cars will supplant private ownership and greatly reduce vehicle sales.
The average age of vehicles on American roads has risen steadily since 2002 to an all-time high of 11.8 years at the start of 2019, according to IHS Market. But the average age of conventional taxis in New York City—traveling 70,000 miles per year—is estimated at 3.8 years.
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