...for generations the major car companies have embraced the internal combustion engine cars running on fossil fuels because electric cars were seen to be less profitable. But now, thanks to advent of autonomy capabilities, car companies see the immense potential profitability of driverless electric taxis. Without the need to pay drivers, and with the low maintenance costs of EV's, a driverless taxi can easily pay for itself in a year or less. And so many car manufacturers, large and small, are now dashing for autonomy. This is both good and bad for MobilEye. More companies like GM and Tesla have either gone for in-house autonomy development, or started working with other competitors such as Cruise. The competition in this space has grown exponentially as car companies embrace the idea of autonomous taxis as a new profit line. For Shashua, using Tel Aviv as a test bed, and getting into the taxi business for itself as well, is a natural path.