I suggested he run the numbers from your post, "(when you figure in garage rental, insurance, gas, maintenance, fees, etc.)," and he saw the light. Work paid for a rental when needed for work and Uber/delivery took care of the rest. 10 years later, he is trying to cling to the car-less lifestyle, though his desire to buy a house may trigger a different economic conclusion, as properties further out tend to be cheaper than in the city.

I have seven nieces and nephews. Every single one of them started out being a “no car” person. A couple didn’t even get their drivers’ license. Flash forward 10 years, 6 of the 7 are married. 5 of the 7 have children, and (surprise!) all have cars. So do the other two without cars. Every married couple has two cars, the single mom has one, and the two singles have their own.

They may have put off having cars a few years longer than our generation, but they are car buyers. They have also, with one exception, moved out of urban centers and into suburban properties. They used to have mass transit or Uber/Lyft, now they have their own cars. I suspect that having Robotaxis available is not going to change their need for “owned” automobiles, although I can see that they might use a robotaxi to send the kids to karate practice once in a while or whatever.

Very few outside densely packed urban areas are going to give up their cars. Heck, my condo in Boston was next door to a fraternity (both sides, actually) and when I was back in July the parking lots were as full as ever. The behavior might be shifted a few years or something, but “ownership” is going to be around for a very long time.