All articles tagged with #robotaxi
Waymo is expanding its fully autonomous robotaxi service to four new cities—Dallas, Houston, San Antonio, and Orlando—starting with a limited rollout for select riders via the Waymo app as it scales toward wider availability later this year. The service already operates in ten metro areas and began in Miami earlier.
Uber launches the Uber Autonomous Solutions unit to commercialise autonomous-vehicle tech by offering insurance, roadside assistance, AV mission-control software and fleet financing to robotaxi partners, while providing mapping/data services and pursuing partnerships with Waymo, Baidu and Waabi, with plans to deploy AVs in 15 cities by 2026 and lift investor confidence in commercialization.
Uber says it will invest more than $100 million to build autonomous-vehicle charging hubs, deploying DC fast chargers at its depots and along routes in Bay Area, Los Angeles and Dallas, with utilization-guarantee deals with ChargePoint operators (EVgo, Electra, Hubber, Ionity) to roll out hundreds of chargers and accelerate its robotaxi expansion with partners like Waymo and WeRide.
Elon Musk reaffirmed plans to start production of Tesla’s Cybercab in April 2026—the third time he’s pinned this timeline—highlighting a slow initial ramp for the pedal-free, steering-free two-seat ride-hailing vehicle that aims to undercut $30,000. The project faces regulatory hurdles from NHTSA and reliability questions around FSD, with analysts hedging Tesla’s longer-term prospects.
Waymo debuts its sixth-generation Driver hardware, a cheaper, smaller and more capable system, first outfitted to Zeekr-made Ojai minivans and later Hyundai Ioniq 5s, with employee rides in LA and SF ahead of public deployments. The sensor suite combines 16 17-megapixel cameras, short-range lidar, radar and enhanced EARs for better weather performance and night vision, plus a cleaning system for sensors. Waymo plans rapid scaling from about 1,500 cars to 3,500 this year and to tens of thousands over time, expanding production in Metro Phoenix and adding 20 new cities to its robotaxi network.
Senate Commerce Committee backing for domestic autonomous-vehicle development signals strength for the robotaxi push, potentially aiding Tesla and Waymo in the global race. But Tesla scrapped a planned driverless charging station in San Francisco after union opposition, and TSLA stock fell over 5% as analysts maintain a cautious Hold view with modest downside risk.
Waymo, Alphabet’s self-driving-car unit, raised $16 billion at a roughly $126 billion valuation to accelerate global expansion, including rolling out the service in 20+ cities and advancing road testing, as rivals and ride-hail partners intensify the competitive landscape.
Waymo announced a $16 billion investment round led by Dragoneer (with new backers Sequoia and DST Global) valuing the company at about $126 billion, to expand its robotaxi service to at least 20 new cities in 2026 and into overseas markets. The funding will fund more vehicles to grow its fleet beyond the 2,500 robotaxis in six US cities, despite the high costs of sensors, remote monitoring, and maintenance. Waymo remains one of the few firms with paid, fully driverless rides in the US and hints at possible IPO activity next.
Tesla signals a shift from selling cars to focusing on autonomous technology and humanoid robots, retiring its Model S/X lineup to prioritize a “transportation as a service” future. It touts rising Full Self-Driving subscriptions, plans for robotaxis, and ongoing heavy spending on Optimus, Cybercab, and battery projects, while vehicle sales remain pressured and the business leans more toward software and services.
Waymo begins limited robotaxi service at San Francisco International Airport, starting with pickups at the Rental Car Center via AirTrain and planning to expand to terminals and other airport locations, making SFO the third U.S. international airport to offer commercial autonomous rides.
Major funds and Elon Musk are quietly boosting Tesla stock as the company pushes into robotaxi services and turns full self-driving (FSD) into a monthly subscription, signaling recurring revenue growth and higher margins; Tesla has begun unsupervised robotaxi rides in Austin, with earnings-per-share expectations doubling over the next two years.
Obi data shows Waymo has cut prices in the San Francisco Bay Area, narrowing the average ride cost gap with Uber and Lyft (Waymo about $19.69 vs Uber $17.47 and Lyft $15.47). The shift suggests the novelty premium for robotaxis is fading, though Waymo still has longer wait times (~5.7 min) than Uber and Lyft. Tesla remains a wildcard with lower prices but limited driverless service and long waits. Analysts still favor Uber for upside among robotaxi stocks.
Analysts expect Tesla’s Q4 2025 results to dip, with non-GAAP EPS around $0.45 and revenue about $24.8 billion as capital expenditures rise toward $3 billion and auto margins shrink from price reductions. Investors will scrutinize near-term milestones for Robotaxi/FSD, Cybercab and the cost of AI initiatives, plus how 2026 capex affects cash flow as Tesla scales its autonomous and AI-driven roadmap.
Tesla is due to report Q4 earnings after the market closes on Jan 28; analysts expect about $0.45 per share on roughly $24.8 billion in revenue, with investors eyeing updates on the Austin robotaxi program and ongoing self-driving progress amid margin pressure. The stock has traded cautiously ahead of the print, and options imply about a 6% post-earnings move amid mixed analyst views on Tesla’s risk/reward.
Bettors on Kalshi and Polymarket are making money by wagering that Elon Musk will miss his promises (like a California robotaxi and a new political party). Traders report sizable gains: one user has more than $36,000 in resolved Musk/Tesla bets and $1.4 million lifetime on Polymarket, while another touts about $490,000 across two Polymarket accounts. The surge follows a 2024 ruling that允许 event contracts, with Musk’s own involvement fueling activity; markets sometimes hinge on nuanced definitions of events (e.g., what counts as unsupervised), but overall the prediction-market trend around Musk remains strong.