After its 2009 launch, Uber spread like wildfire across the U.S., revolutionizing the gig economy with its app-based model that connects consumers to independent contractors who use their own cars and set their own schedules. That approach has since attracted more than 9.5 million Uber contractors worldwide.
But in cities like San Francisco, Los Angeles, Phoenix, and Atlanta, customers are increasingly turning to autonomous vehicles to get around town, with some even sending their teens to school in them. What once felt like science fiction has now become everyday reality across parts of the U.S. as Alphabet-backed Waymo, Tesla, and Amazon-backed Zoox expand the burgeoning market.
