The McKinsey Center for Future Mobility’s Bold Claims About the Coming AV Revolution
Ani Kelkar & Darius Scurtu discuss how robotaxis could disrupt car ownership and bring down transport costs
As the world transitions to autonomous mobility and robotics, consumer uptake rests on four core pillars: affordability, accessibility, safety and sustainability. In a bold new report, Ani Kelkar and Darius Scurtu, from our partners at the McKinsey Center for Future Mobility, argue that AVs will perform so well, that they will in fact be deflationary, driving down the cost of transportation and disrupting car ownership.
In the most recent edition of the Zag Talk, Jonah Bliss chats with Ani and Darius, as they get into why they think this is the moment that robotaxis truly take off. And the three of them dive into the tricky downstream effects that could come along for the ride: would cheaper mobility just mean endless congestion? Are voters and policymakers ready for these sorts of massive changes? Listen in!
PARTNER | Rising Fuel Costs Are Squeezing Gig Driver Earnings
Rideshare and delivery drivers are now spending 32–39% more of their gross pay on fuel than a year ago — the highest share since 2022. Platform relief programs are covering only a fraction of the gap, leaving drivers to absorb the shock through lower take-home pay.
Rideshare drivers’ fuel share of pay rose 32% to 17.4% in Q1 2026 — the highest level since 2022
Delivery drivers saw an even sharper 39% increase, with fuel claiming 15.6% of gross earnings over the same period
Only 17.4% of Uber Eats workers received any gas-related payout the week of March 30; DoorDash’s maximum $15 weekly payout offsets only a fraction of the estimated $20–$30 in incremental weekly fuel costs for a full-time driver
Get the full data — including platform-by-platform breakdowns and what this means for driver supply — in Gridwise’s latest report.
