Gen Beta May Never Need a Driver's License - Robotaxis, the Taxi Medallion, and the Velocity Gap

A New York taxi medallion went from $10 to $1.3 million and back down to $79,105. The driver's license is next.

Ryan Vet opens with Renato, the Brazilian driver who keeps a cold guaraná waiting for him in Orlando, then follows the money: how Uber emptied the yellow cab, and why robotaxis are a far bigger shift than swapping one human driver for another. Waymo, Tesla's Cybercab, driverless trucks, and 14 billion self-driven miles all point the same way. The question is what a generation gives up when it never learns to drive.

### In this episode:

- Why a New York taxi medallion that cost $10 in 1938 sold for $1.3 million in 2014, then averaged $79,105 by 2021 - How Uber took nearly every ride it gained in Manhattan straight from yellow cabs - Waymo's jump from 50,000 paid rides a week in May 2024 to 500,000 by March 2026 - Why 14 billion Tesla self-driving miles, roughly 18,800 human driving lifetimes, is the Velocity Gap in action - What Gen Beta trades when the wheel goes away: the conversations, the judgment, and the freedom

**Go deeper:** Read the full COLLIDE essay at [ryanvet.com/collide/gen-beta-drivers-license](https://ryanvet.com/collide/gen-beta-drivers-license/), and subscribe to COLLIDE at [ryanvet.com/collide](https://ryanvet.com/collide).

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### About Ryan Vet

[Ryan Vet](https://ryanvet.com/?ref=podcast) is a USA TODAY bestselling author, [futurist](https://ryanvet.com/futurist/), and international keynote speaker whose insights on generations, culture, and the future of work have been featured in _Forbes, Financial Times, ABC, NBC,_ and _CBS_. His research helps leaders understand emerging generational patterns and anticipate societal shifts before they fully unfold.

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