These Mini, Futuristic Self-Driving Taxis Might Be the Future of Urban Transportation

The race for the right self-driving solution is a hot topic. 

For the past few years, companies ranging from Tesla Inc. and Ford Motor Co. to Alphabet Inc.’s Google and Uber Technologies Inc. have been getting in on the self-driving car space. The first-to-market opportunity for those that get it right could be one of the biggest in decades.

Self-driving taxis provide a multibillion-dollar market opportunity because they effectively take the costs associated with paying drivers out of the global $200 billion taxi and ride-share market. Despite its inability to find profitability, Uber is still valued at over $50 billion, and it could easily double that if it finds a profitable solution to its business model. That model is self-driving taxis.

The market is even larger if you take into account the implications of people who would choose a vehicle over its competitors because of its self-driving capabilities. 

Nearly every major player in the market is trying to adapt their current vehicles to a self-driving model rather than building a self-driving model to meet the needs of the market.

For example, the average Uber trip distance is 5 to 7 miles in an urban environment. Building a vehicle ideal for urban environments is likely much easier than trying to build something that works in every situation, everywhere.

Eli Electric Vehicles is trying to do just that. The company is manufacturing small, electric vehicles (EVs) designed to take on the urban micromobility market. Micromobility transport like electric scooters, Onewheels, and electric unicycles have grown in prominence in recent years to tackle this problem, but they only provide a partial solution.
Eli Electric is manufacturing and selling small, all-electric cars perfect for urban environments. The company’s goal is to take its platform and turn it into a self-driving mini taxi to help solve the micromobility and self-driving taxi problem.

The company has launched an equity crowdfunding campaign. For a limited time, anyone can invest in this EV startup. Because it’s a startup, the investment is speculative and illiquid, so never invest more than you can afford to lose. Startup investing can be a great way to diversify a portfolio or get in on the ground floor of new and exciting technologies.

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