Elon Musk Ally Jason Calacanis Bets Another $1M On Uber - Says Waymo Team-Up Could Steal Tesla's Driverless Crown

(MENAFN- AsiaNet News)

• He believes Uber can thrive even if it finishes second or third in autonomous driving.
• Calacanis forecasts Tesla taking more than 40% of the autonomy market, Uber and its partners 35%, and Waymo about 25%.
• He suggested that a lasting Uber-Waymo alliance could challenge Tesla for the top spot.

Early Uber investor Jason Calacanis said he bought another $1 million of the company's shares, saying that a lasting alliance with Waymo could help it challenge Tesla's expected lead in autonomous driving.

UBER stock rose nearly 4% on Monday to $71.17, snapping two consecutive sessions of losses. 

Calacanis Sees Multiple Roads To Uber's Success

“I bought an extra million in shares at $65, which is half price in my modeling,” Calacanis, a longtime Elon Musk ally, said on X. He credited Uber's expansion into parking and drones, alongside agreements securing early vehicle supply from smaller autonomous-driving providers, with reducing its exposure to the robotaxi threat.

“Uber can come in second or third in autonomous driving and still have a thriving, compounding business,” he said. Calacanis predicted Tesla would lead the autonomy market with more than 40% share. He assigned 35% to Uber and its 30 partners, with about 25% for Waymo operating independently.

A deeper Uber-Waymo relationship could change the ranking, he said:“If Waymo and Uber were to join forces for good, they might be able to steal the gold from Tesla - might.” 

Calacanis Sees Bigger Gains And Driverless Deals Ahead

His latest comments come after a bullish call last week, when the All-In podcast co-host called Uber and Tesla 50% undervalued and predicted both stocks would triple in under five years. 

Last month, he disclosed buying 15,000 Uber shares at $65 for $975,000 and 3,000 Tesla shares at $357 for about $1.07 million. His 12-month targets at the time were $120 for Uber and $500 for Tesla.

His autonomy investments extend further. In September, he disclosed small positions in WeRide (WRD), Pony (PONY), Lucid (LCID) and Rivian (RIVN), predicting takeovers within two years and a doubling of the investments' combined value.“Consolidation is coming to the autonomous space based on the massive progress that Tesla, Waymo, and Uber are making,” he said at the time. 

Uber Adds Parking, Drones And More Driverless Vehicles

Uber and Alphabet's (GOOGL) Waymo offer rides exclusively through Uber in Austin and Atlanta. But Waymo plans to launch its own app in both cities in January 2028, ending the exclusivity as riders seek more reliable access to its vehicles.

“It's important for us to have that relationship with the rider. We've gotten that feedback from the riders in those markets,” Waymo co-CEO Tekedra Mawakana said last week. 

Uber is also widening its services alongside its robotaxi push by launching in-app parking reservations on Monday, drawing on SpotHero's network of more than 13,000 garages, lots and valets across 400 U.S. and Canadian cities. 

Uber One members can earn 10% back in credits on eligible completed reservations. Its drone ambitions include a Flytrex investment and partnership announced last year to bring aerial deliveries to Uber Eats. 

Meanwhile, Uber also expects its driverless fleet to expand sharply.“Our focus on autonomous is now on commercial execution, with approximately 700 fully driverless vehicles expected on Uber by year-end and over 2,000 in 2027,” CEO Dara Khosrowshahi said last week.

How Do Retail Traders Feel About UBER?

On Stocktwits, retail sentiment for UBER was 'bullish' amid 'high' message volume at the time of writing.

UBER sentiment and message volume as of November 10 | Source: Stocktwits

One user called Uber an overlooked cash generator:“This heavy, sluggish stock has been overlooked for quite some time but is actually a stealth cash-flow machine.”

View this Stocktwits post

Another questioned how Tesla's expansion could affect ride-hailing platforms:“If Cybercab actually scales, what happens to Uber and Lyft?”

UBER stock has declined 13% year-to-date.

For updates and corrections, email newsroom[at]stocktwits[dot]com.

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