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First responders are reporting an increase in issues with Waymo's autonomous vehicles. The article details concerns raised by emergency personnel regarding the performance and behavior of these self-driving cars.
Tesla is rolling out its Robotaxi service to Dallas and Houston
Tesla is expanding its Robotaxi service to Dallas and Houston, Texas, with new service areas detailed on X. While the service initially launched in Austin with human supervision, Tesla has been transitioning to fully autonomous operation. This expansion places Tesla in direct competition with Waymo's autonomous ride-hailing service in these markets.
Tesla's robotaxis are reportedly remotely driven by humans, sometimes
Tesla has admitted that its robotaxis are sometimes remotely operated by human intervention when software encounters rare issues. Operators can temporarily assume direct control at low speeds as a final escalation maneuver. This approach differs from competitors like Waymo, which use human assistance for context rather than direct driving.
Zoox is bringing its robotaxi to new cities and expanding coverage in Las Vegas and San Francisco
Zoox is expanding its robotaxi service to Austin, Texas and Miami, Florida, while also increasing coverage in Las Vegas and San Francisco. The company is introducing new features like 'Find My Zoox' and 'Zooxcast' to enhance the rider experience. Zoox's approach focuses on custom-built robotaxis, differentiating it from competitors like Waymo.
Rivian will provide 50,000 robotaxis to Uber in a deal worth $1.25 billion
Rivian and Uber have announced a significant partnership where Rivian will supply Uber with 50,000 robotaxis, valued at $1.25 billion. The deal begins with Uber acquiring 10,000 Rivian R2 robotaxis for deployment by 2028, with plans to expand to 25 major cities by 2031. This collaboration aims to accelerate autonomous vehicle plans for both companies.
Uber is piloting a robotaxi service in Tokyo
Uber is piloting a robotaxi service in Tokyo starting in late 2026, in partnership with UK startup Wayve and Nissan. The service will utilize Nissan Leaf electric vehicles equipped with Wayve's AI Driver technology, initially with trained drivers present. This initiative is part of a larger plan by Wayve and Uber to expand robotaxi services to over 10 cities globally.
NVIDIA- and Uber-backed Nuro is testing autonomous vehicles in Tokyo
Nuro, a self-driving startup backed by NVIDIA, Toyota, and Uber, has begun testing its autonomous vehicles on the streets of Tokyo. The company plans to launch a robotaxi service with Uber and Lucid in San Francisco this year. Tokyo's complex urban environment presents a significant test for Nuro's autonomous driving systems as they aim for Level 4 autonomy.
Amazon’s Zoox will test its robotaxis in Dallas and Phoenix
Amazon's autonomous vehicle subsidiary, Zoox, is expanding its testing operations to Dallas and Phoenix. The company will initially use retrofitted Toyota Highlander SUVs with safety drivers to map the cities before deploying its purpose-built robotaxis. This expansion aims to test the vehicles' sensors and battery performance in diverse conditions and increases Zoox's operational footprint to 10 US cities.