Autonomous Driving Is a Trillion Dollar Opportunity
•February 9, 2026
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Why It Matters
Strong operating momentum and clearer disclosure around AV plans signal Uber may sustain high growth and margin improvement, while autonomous vehicles present a potentially transformative, capital‑light path to scale that could materially affect costs, competition and investor upside.
Summary
Uber reported one of its strongest quarters, hitting a $15 billion annual trip run rate, 200 million monthly active users, record adjusted EBITDA of $2.5 billion and accelerating free cash flow while quarterly trips rose 22% and membership grew 55% year‑over‑year. President and COO Andrew “Mac” McDonald said the company is scaling beyond top cities—covering 95% of the U.S. population across 8,000+ markets—and is adding more new and higher‑frequency users than expected. Uber is also increasing transparency around deployments and its autonomous vehicle strategy as it positions the business for further margin expansion. Management frames autonomous driving as a multi‑trillion‑dollar opportunity that could reshape unit economics and long‑term growth.
Original Description
On this episode of Live From The Compound, Downtown Josh Brown is joined by Andrew Macdonald, President and Chief Operating Officer at Uber, after one of the strongest quarters in the company’s history as a public stock. They break down Uber’s standout earnings, rapid user and trip growth, and what the numbers say about the business today, before diving into the biggest question facing the space: how autonomous vehicles will shape Uber’s future.
This episode is sponsored by Teucrium. Find out more at https://teucrium.com/agricultural-commodity-etfs
00:00 - Ad
00:55 - Intro
03:16 - Uber's Earnings
06:38 - Competitiveness
11:12 - Strategy
21:52 - Partnerships
26:03 - Uber Fleet
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