The business model is to make it cheap initially by subsidizing it with investor capital. So, the gig worker may be paid more than the user is being charged. Then, eventually raise the price once the user base is large enough and dependent enough on it (or the prior alternative is sufficiently put out of business).

just slowed down to 3mph when it had 15 years left or so

Damn, spending 15 years in a car going 3mph sounds terrible.