Waymo having (slightly) positive economics per car is huge.
Main Street: Thank God Google’s search business is so profitable, it can forever subsidize my Waymo rides.
Wall Street: Waymo has positive unit economics in SF.
--
JMP research report: Waymo has 63% cash contribution margins. The vehicle & sensor capex is large (~$150k/vehicle), so accounting for their depreciation, contribution margins are just slightly positive.
Today Waymo operates at just 35% utilization, vs Uber at 55% in NY. Waymo should achieve higher utilization than Uber over time. If Waymo operates at 55% utilization, that’s an incremental 58% revenue at high cash contribution margin. The IRRs on the upfront vehicle & sensor cost go from ~0% to 30% .
There’s also an expectation the vehicles and sensors get more affordable. All of this ignores operating expenses (R&D, G&A, centralized mgmt), but suggests Waymo can profitably scale its fleet.