Lyft Co-Founder Says on 'The Daily Show' That Future Cars Will Be 'Rooms on Wheels' John Zimmer shares his predictions for transportation 10 to 20 years from now with Trevor Noah.

By Rose Leadem

Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

Lyft

Without cars, where would we be? Better yet, what would our cities be like?

We've designed and developed our cities around cars, which is a shame, Lyft Co-Founder and President John Zimmer told Trevor Noah on Tuesday night's The Daily Show. Going forward, Zimmer and Lyft are thinking about ways to design cities around people. That's where autonomous cars come in, reducing the need to own cars and making transportation more affordable.

Related: Will We Still Need Stoplights in the Self-Driving Future?

The average household spends $9,000 a year to own a car, Zimmer said, noting that affordability is one of the biggest incentives for introducing driverless cars to the market.

Image Credit: Comedy Central

Uber's VP of global vehicle programs, Sherif Marakby, also recently emphasized the potential of autonomous vehicles to save people money. During a talk at the Automotive News World Congress last week, he said, "The biggest problem in ridesharing is supply -- having enough drivers in peak times." When there aren't enough cars on the road to accommodate the number of ride requests, Uber charges riders "surge pricing" in order to limit demand. "Automated vehicles will help smooth out surge times," Marakby said.

Related: This Self-Driving Car of the Future Doubles as a Living Room

Today, drivers fear their jobs may be at risk when driverless vehicles come to fruition. Marakby said that both human-driven and autonomous vehicles will occupy the roads for Uber. As Zimmer pointed out, driverless cars may even create more jobs -- although these jobs won't necessarily involve driving. "I don't think a car is going to look like a car anymore. It's going to be more like a room on wheels," Zimmer said, "and then you might have services in those rooms."

Rose Leadem is a freelance writer for Entrepreneur.com. 

Want to be an Entrepreneur Leadership Network contributor? Apply now to join.

Leadership

7 Telltale Signs of a Weak Leader

Whether a bully or a people pleaser who can't tell hard truths, poor leadership takes many forms.

Business Ideas

70 Small Business Ideas to Start in 2025

We put together a list of the best, most profitable small business ideas for entrepreneurs to pursue in 2025.

Business News

'Everyone Can Profit From It': What Is DeepSeek? China's 'Cheap' to Make AI Chatbot Climbs to the Top of Apple, Google U.S. App Stores

DeepSeek researchers claim it was developed for less than $6 million, a contrast to the $100 million it takes U.S. tech startups to create AI.

Business News

Elon Musk's DOGE Is Hiring People Eager to 'Work Long Hours' to Eliminate 'Waste, Fraud and Abuse' in the Government. Here's How to Apply.

The Department of Government Efficiency is hiring U.S. citizens to help cut spending and headcounts in the federal government.

Business News

'I Love Doing Product Reviews': Bill Gates Stepped Down from Microsoft in 2020, But Admits He Still Spends 15% of His Time Working at the Company

In a new interview with the Wall Street Journal, Gates also said he is still close with Microsoft's CEO Satya Nadella.

Business News

Uber's CEO Says Drivers Have About 10 Years Left Before They Will Be Replaced

Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi says the jobs of human drivers are safe for the next decade, but after that, another type of driver will take over.