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This is an angel investment. Google is bolstering Uber, not competing directly.

• mistercow 13y ago
  Even so, I wonder if they might do better not to draw attention to the disaster that "easy car sharing (or similar concepts)" + "self-driving car" could be for car sales. Maybe I'm underestimating car companies in assuming that the haven't already anticipated this (although in that case, why aren't we seeing resistance), or maybe Google holds them in even lower esteem.
  • chromaton 13y ago
    My guess is that the car companies haven't figured this out. It takes two steps of reasoning: 1. Figuring out that self-driving cars are practical in the medium term and 2. Figuring out that widespread availability of self-driving cars means that people might not want to own their own.
    • mistercow 13y ago
      Here's hoping that they, like many others before them, flinch away from the mental pain of noticing that their business model is about to crumble until it's too late.
• joshu 13y ago
  Venture investment.