I'll take that bet. When do you think China will drive the cost of gold to $0?

Let's try a different approach. Let's assume your position that costs are negligible is true. Why isn't 360* LIDAR on every vehicle as a safety feature? Why doesn't Ford, BMW, Honda, et al, offer a self-driving vehicle? Are legacy car companies simply negligent at running their businesses?

All I've pointed out is you're using charts to make points that are not supported by the charts. More charts showing more generic data does not support your specific conclusion any more than a chart showing the cost of pens in China doesn't support the conclusion that presidential pardons cost <$1.

My only point is the chart you've cited doesn't actually tell us anything at all about 1. what data it's showing (no citations), much less, 2. anything about Waymo's costs.

Given the lack of citations for data, there's no way to know what that graph is showing, or if it's even accurate. The only hint we get is that it's describing the cost of systems "in China," which is not where Waymo is operating. So we need better information.

The LIDAR that's on a Waymo & the LIDAR that's on your avg production car are not remotely the same. Waymo uses a 360* 3D system, while production cars use a relatively narrow-angle 2D system. The former is mapping/tracking everything around the vehicle; the latter just in front & doesn't track.

Fantastic photos from one of the most interesting towns in coastal Ga. Thanks for sharing.