Waymo robotaxi fares were higher than Uber and Lyft, but the gap is narrowing after recent price cuts, TechCrunch reported on Jan. 27.

Data released by ride-hailing price comparison firm Obi showed Waymo lowered fares in the San Francisco Bay Area, while Uber and Lyft raised prices. In data collected from Nov. 27 to Jan. 1, Waymo’s average fare was $19.69, compared with $17.47 for Uber and $15.47 for Lyft. Compared with data from April last year, Waymo fell 3.62 percent, while Uber rose 12 percent and Lyft rose 7 percent. Obi CEO Ashwini Anburajan said, "As the novelty of Waymo fades, price competitiveness is becoming important."

Tesla does not operate an official robotaxi service in San Francisco, but is drawing attention for low fares. Tesla received a transportation permit from the California Public Utilities Commission, but long wait times reflect a small vehicle fleet. Tesla’s average robotaxi wait time is 15.32 minutes, longer than Waymo at 5.74 minutes, Lyft at 5.14 minutes and Uber at 3.15 minutes. TechCrunch said Tesla could strengthen its price competitiveness if it expands its self-driving technology. In Obi’s survey, 31 percent of respondents preferred Tesla. Waymo was at 39.8 percent. Among male respondents, 56 percent chose Tesla.