Gen Beta May Never Need a Driver's License
A New York taxi medallion went from $10 to $1.3 million to $79,105. The license is next.
Read the full essayFull show notes
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, and subscribe to COLLIDE at ryanvet.com/collide.
About Ryan Vet
Ryan Vet is a USA TODAY bestselling author, 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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