I was reading an article about Grab and its recent tech partnerships — including equity investments in the U.S. autonomous vehicle company May Mobility Inc. and the Chinese robotaxi firm WeRide Inc.
The first autonomous cars are expected to arrive in Singapore by 2026. In the meantime, Grab has started reskilling programs to help drivers transition into new roles related to AV supervision and maintenance.
In my view, this shift will significantly cut operating costs. And if Grab manages to apply a similar model to food delivery, I’d say that within the next five years, companies like Uber and Grab could become truly profitable.
Later this evening, I watched an interesting video about Tesla and autonomous driving, which made me think:
Traditional car manufacturers — like Tesla — will inevitably join the race, trying to replicate what Apple did with the PC, iPhone, software, and services: build a complete ecosystem.
This will likely drive prices down, but also compress margins.
Will people start relying more on (robo)taxi services instead of owning a car?
I believe so — especially in cities. Since moving to Singapore, I haven’t owned a car. I use Grab all the time and never miss driving — whether I’m heading to the office, the airport, or a meeting.
Of course, the concept of private cars won’t disappear — people will still want their own vehicle for the pleasure of driving, comfort, or simply the luxury of privacy. Health and hygiene concerns may also reinforce this preference.
- SL