Will Uber and Tesla Join Forces To Redefine Transportation?

So, Tesla has clearly expressed its plan to introduce fully autonomous ride sharing and taxi services, which is the same exact segment of transportation that Uber is moving toward. As of now, the two companies can work without paying too much attention to one another, but as time progresses, these companies will slowly begin to venture closer to becoming competitors – eventually setting a collision course for one another that could result in a pretty epic battle that would redefine the very nature of future transportation. Just think, we could even see Teslas and Uber vehicles smashing into each other all Vigilante 8 and Carmageddon style in a futuristic, AI-fueled, throw down that results in death, destruction, and cinema-style chaos. Okay, so maybe that's extreme, but the fact of the matter is that these companies will eventually buck horns if both live up to their own expectations, but what if they do come together as one?

Well, Jason Calacanis – and early angel investor of Uber – spoke about such a thing on his web show, This Week in Startups. He believes it will be a good idea, and that the two should join forces to create the ultimate transportation company. He believes that, together, they could beat every other company at transportation. It could be an amazing collaboration, and Calacanis even believes that Elon Musk would act as the CEO of both companies (because he doesn’t have enough on his plate with SpaceX, Neuralink, Tesla, Hyperloop, and The Boring Company,) while Uber found Travis Kalanick would transition into being a board member of Uber. But when you take a look at the source, there’s a clear reason why Mr. Calacanis would like to see such a collaboration and joining of forces…

This Would Make for a Nice Payday All the Way Around

Now, this would clearly be beneficial for both Uber and Tesla, as having a partner is much better than having an enemy. And, we’ve all seen just how advanced Uber’s self-driving vehicles are. (Sorry Uber, your first step into self-driving cars didn’t prove to be all that great.) Tesla, on the other hand, has a proven system that is – supposedly – ready for Level 5 autonomy as soon as the software is perfected.

A merger between these two companies could be a huge benefit for Uber while knocking out a major competitor for Tesla. Sounds like a win-win, right? Well, it probably would be, and both companies would stand to profit quite well, should the autonomous and ride-hailing business continue to grow. At the same time, however, Mr. Calacanis has an interest in both companies as he was also an early supporter of Elon Musk and even owns the very first Model S (Serial No. 00001.) Needless to say, he has a tight affiliation with both companies and would certainly stand to make some decent money should both companies be successful under the same umbrella.

Uber Self-Driving Car Breaking the Law

Self-Driving Tesla Model S

Of course, neither company has expressed any interest in such a merger. And, Elon has been mute on his Twitter account about the idea as well, but that doesn’t mean it won’t happen in the future. At the end of the day, Tesla or Uber will put fully-autonomous taxis on the road, and whoever pulls that off first will get the upper hand. Something tells me that Tesla will be the first to make it happen, considering how far it has come with its self-driving technology. So, with that in mind, it could very well turn into a survival situation for Uber with no choice but to attempt a merger to prevent slowly fading away into history as another failed company. Should Uber and Tesla Join forces? Who do you think will launch a fully autonomous taxi system first? Who would you trust with your life? Let us know what you think in the comments section below.