I wonder why the cost is high. Maybe to discourage folks who want a service competitive with a human driver?
Pure speculation but if it is indeed more expensive, it may be to avoid the perception that they're competing with human ride-share drivers.
I think that is very wise to avoid that political minefield by making it a little bit more expensive until it's actually production ready.
I wonder if it's also possible Uber and Lyft dropped their prices in the area. Also to be fair, you don't feel any pressure to tip in Waymo either.
I read somewhere that each vehicle cost $250k because of all the hardware
Surely, though, the cost of operation has little to do with the cost of rides? Google has poured billions into the project. A few dollars per ride isn't helping their accountants sleep any better.