Robotaxi

Waymo has 684 of its new Ojai robotaxis finished and ready to deploy at its factory in Mesa, Arizona, according to the latest aerial count of the site.

That’s out of 953 Ojai vehicles on the lot in total, or 72% already converted. It’s the clearest sign yet of how much driverless capacity Waymo is stockpiling.

Waymo’s autonomous electric taxis crash 68% less than the average human driver, according to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, with lower-severity crashes on average as well. But there are some important caveats that limit the data.

Uber, Nuro, and Lucid have picked Houston as the second city for their planned robotaxi service, with the launch in the Texas city expected in mid-2027.

Waymo has tapped fleet management company Element to help keep its robotaxis charged, maintained, and on the road as the company expands into more cities.

EV charging companies Voltera and Revel are joining forces to build what they say will be one of the biggest fast-charging platforms in the US, focused on fleets, ride-hail drivers, and robotaxis.

Level 4 autonomous technology expert Nuro shared the latest milestone of a partnership with Uber Technologies and Lucid Motors to develop a fleet of Gravity Robotaxi SUVs. Per the company, a select group of riders has begun test rides in California.

Robotaxi network and vehicle developer Zoox has shared some more key milestones as we sit nearly four months into its “year of growth.” That includes massive expansions to its existing network, added features for riders, and the deployment of Zoox’s purpose-built robotaxis in two new US cities.

Rideshare behemoth Uber announced a massive new partnership with Rivian, in which it will invest over one billion dollars in the American automaker to deploy up to 50,000 all-electric robotaxis, beginning with the new R2 SUV.

Lucid Group (LCID) unveiled Lunar on Thursday, a two-seat robotaxi concept based on its midsize EV platform.

Zoox and Uber Technologies have announced a strategic partnership to deploy Zoox’s purpose-built robotaxis on Uber’s rideshare network. This use of truly autonomous robotaxis will begin in one of Zoox’s existing footprints and another massive metropolitan area next year.

Autonomous mobility company Zoox is expanding its US testing footprint, adding Phoenix and Dallas as new markets for its robotaxi development program. The Zoox expansion marks another step as the Amazon-owned startup continues scaling operations across major metro areas.

Waymo has started driverless robotaxi operation in 4 more US cities today: Dallas, Houston, San Antonio, and Orlando. This brings the running total to 10 cities, while Waymo’s highest-profile competitor in the space, Tesla, currently operates driverless robotaxis in zero cities, despite big claims to the contrary.

A company called Glydways is marking two significant milestones in bringing its Automated Transit Network (ATN) of autonomous vehicles to the masses. Glydways has announced new public transit projects in the US and the United Arab Emirates, where it plans to introduce its unique form of guided autonomy.

Waymo has started providing rides with its autonomous taxi service to San Francisco International airport, starting today for select riders.

Tesla has once again suggested that it has Robotaxis operating in the San Francisco Bay Area, despite the company cannot legally operate autonomous vehicles in the state of California.

Six months after Uber announced a new business venture with Lucid Group and Nuro to deploy tens of thousands of self-driving Gravity SUVs, the three companies have unveiled their production-intent robotaxi design. The purpose-built Gravity robotaxi is on display at CES in Las Vegas this week, and we’ve learned on-road testing is already underway. View more in the videos below.

Just over a year after Uber announced a strategic partnership in the Middle East with autonomous vehicle specialist WeRide, the companies have officially begun offering the public robotaxi rides without a driver or safety operator present on board.

Robotaxi network Waymo is continuing the rapid expansion of its test fleet vehicles in new cities around the US as it looks to offer more driverless ride options to the public. The Alphabet Inc. subsidiary announced three new cities where test vehicles will roll out en route to commercial services, marking Waymo’s second expansion announcement in just three days.

Purpose-built robotaxi developer Zoox has announced another milestone today, opening its waitlist to the public in San Francisco. This move is part of Zoox’s “Explorers” program, which offers early ride access to those who sign up as the company expands its service network in specific areas.

Robotaxi network Waymo is continuing to expand the reach and capabilities of its driverless vehicles to public riders in new cities. Today, the Alphabet, Inc. subsidiary announced freeway trips in three major US cities, as well as an expansion of its service availability in a familiar region.

Three months after Uber, Lucid Motors, and Nuro announced a partnership that would enable Gravity SUV robotaxis, the rideshare network has shared where the public will first be able to hail one. Spoiler alert, it’s easy to guess if you give it half a thought.