New research shows Tesla's robotaxis offer the lowest fares in San Francisco, averaging $8.17 per ride, but users face much longer wait times compared to competitors. The study by rideshare app Obi analyzed nearly 95,000 rides from late 2025 into early 2026. While Tesla holds a price edge, it ranks last in key usability metrics.
A recent report from rideshare comparison app Obi highlights Tesla's competitive edge in the robotaxi market through affordability, though it falls short on efficiency. The analysis covers 94,348 rides taken between November 27, 2025, and January 1, 2026, involving services from Waymo, Tesla, Uber, and Lyft in San Francisco and the South Bay area.
On pricing, Tesla emerges as the standout, with rides averaging $8.17 and rarely surpassing $10. This undercuts Lyft's $15.47 average, Uber's $17.47, and Waymo's highest at $19.69. However, this bargain comes at a cost in convenience. Tesla's average estimated time of arrival (ETA) clocks in at 15.32 minutes, far exceeding Waymo's 5.74 minutes and Uber's 3.28 minutes for autonomous options.
A notable caveat for Tesla: all its robotaxis currently include a human safety driver equipped with an emergency kill switch, unlike fully driverless rivals. This setup may contribute to the extended wait times.
The report also surveys broader attitudes toward autonomous vehicles across U.S. areas with such services. Comfort levels have risen sharply, with 63% of respondents now comfortable or somewhat comfortable, up from 35% in January 2025—a 28-percentage-point jump.
Brand preferences lean toward Waymo, favored by 39.8% overall, compared to Tesla's 31.1%. Gender differences are pronounced: 56% of men prefer Tesla, versus 35% of women. Tesla entered the robotaxi arena in June 2025 with its Austin, Texas, launch, while Waymo pioneered the space, starting in Phoenix in 2018 and going fully consumer-autonomous in 2020.
These findings underscore the trade-offs in the evolving robotaxi landscape, where cost savings may not yet outweigh operational hurdles for many users.
