Bryan Caplan: Rideshares grew passenger miles 7x, and robotaxis will spark the next revolution
BorisMPower · x · 2026-10-02
Economist Bryan Caplan uses ChatGPT-estimated data to show rideshares grew passenger miles roughly seven-fold since 2000 via massive price cuts and convenience gains — a rare positive-sum disruption. After his first driverless-car ride (9/10), he projects robotaxis: a sub-$40k self-driving Tesla earning $100/day pays for itself in about a year; even idle half the time with doubled energy/maintenance costs, equilibrium price lands near $2/hour. He expects another Uber-sized transportation revolution within a decade.
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