Obi Releases Data Analysis of Tesla and Waymo Rideshare Pricing, Wait Times, and Sentiments

SAN FRANCISCO, Jan. 27, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Tesla’s entry into the robotaxi market has introduced a completely new model for rideshare services, according to new data from Obi, the global real-time aggregator for rideshare prices. With tightly moderated pricing that rarely topped $10 per ride over the course of Obi’s study, the still-limited new offering is sharply undercutting the pricing of rivals Uber, Lyft, and Waymo in the San Francisco Bay Area.

With an average of $1.99 per kilometer, Tesla’s robotaxis – which still travel with a human safety driver – are charging less than half of Waymo, Uber, and Lyft for rides. The median price for a ride in a Tesla robotaxi as measured in Obi’s survey, which ran from November 27, 2025 to January 1, 2026 is $7.39. Meanwhile, the median Lyft ride cost $12.99, Uber $14.94, and Waymo $17.25. The percentage increase from the lowest price (Tesla at $7.39) to the highest price (Waymo at $17.25) is 133.42%.

“When Waymo entered the market, our research saw that a ride was priced 30 to 40 percent higher than an Uber or Lyft ride, but consumers were still taking them enthusiastically, viewing an autonomous rideshare as a premium product,” said Ashwini Anburajan, CEO of Obi. “We’re seeing the complete opposite with Tesla’s robotaxis. With low prices that virtually never surge, it’s a wholly new approach to pricing rideshare.”

Meanwhile, the price difference between a Waymo and an Uber or Lyft has narrowed to 12-27%, due in part to lower Waymo prices as well as to an uptick in Uber and Lyft prices. This price convergence shows that while Waymo may have entered the market as a premium option, the company may have other plans in the long term.

Obi’s report, titled The Cost of Autonomy: Tesla, Waymo, and the New Rideshare Battleground, also contains the results of a sentiment survey that polled consumers in U.S. states where at least one autonomous rideshare service is operating. Findings included:

• A significant increase in comfort levels with AVs: 63% say they’re comfortable with AVs, compared to 35% in Obi’s study in the spring of 2025
• Nearly half of respondents say AVs could be their primary rideshare option in the future, compared to 24% in spring 2025
• Safety is the #1 concern regarding robotaxis, followed by the risk of technology failures and concerns about data privacy
• There’s still a gender gap, with women showing significantly less trust of AVs than men when it comes to things like using a robotaxi to pick up a child (57% of men say they’d trust it, versus 47% of women) or to get to the hospital in an emergency (62% of men versus 56% of women).

“Obi’s riders have been enthusiastically adopting robotaxis – we see every day that the demand is very real, and it mimics what we see in survey data,” said Anburajan. “At Obi, we’re proud to have the best global rideshare data, which gives us the ability to access these insights into how the ways we get around are changing.”

To read the full report, visit www.rideobi.com/tesla.

ABOUT OBI
Obi is a global real-time aggregator that compares millions of pricing and pick-up (ETA) data points, providing consumers and businesses with actionable insights. The free Obi app allows riders to compare all the major rideshare providers, taxis and black cars instantly. With over 1,300,000 users, the Obi app is available in over 175 countries, providing global price transparency for riders. The app is available for free download on iOS and Android at rideobi.com.

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SOURCE Obi