robotaxi Robotaxis Promise Urban Mobility Shift Despite Safety Concerns Robotaxis are autonomous vehicles operating at SAE level 4 or 5 that provide ride-hailing services without human drivers. These driverless taxis aim to reduce operating costs and urban congestion, though studies show mixed results regarding their actual impact on road safety.
cruise Cruise Launches First Public Driverless Robotaxi Service in San Francisco Cruise opens its fully driverless robotaxi service to the general public in San Francisco, starting with a small waitlist of users who ride for free. The company operates under strict state permits with limited hours and vehicles as it cautiously expands this historic rollout.
waymo Waymo Sues California DMV to Keep Robotaxi Safety Records Secret Waymo takes legal action against the California DMV to prevent the release of robotaxi safety data, arguing the information qualifies as a protected trade secret. The lawsuit highlights a growing conflict between public transparency and corporate confidentiality in the autonomous vehicle industry.
waymo Waymo Sues California DMV to Keep Robotaxi Safety Records Secret Waymo takes legal action against the California DMV to classify autonomous vehicle safety data as a trade secret. The lawsuit highlights a growing conflict between public transparency and corporate privacy in the age of artificial intelligence.
nvidia NVIDIA Grows DRIVE Hyperion Ecosystem to Speed Up Full Self-Driving NVIDIA expands its DRIVE Hyperion platform with major automotive and sensor partners to fast-track level 4 autonomous vehicles for passengers and freight.
weride WeRide and Uber Plan Madrid Robotaxi Launch for 2026 WeRide and Uber partner to bring Spain's first commercial robotaxi service to Madrid in 2026. Riders will access the autonomous vehicles directly through the standard Uber app.
waymo Waymo Raises $16 Billion at $126 Billion Valuation to Fuel Global Robotaxi Expansion Alphabet's self-driving unit Waymo secures a massive $16 billion funding round, more than doubling its valuation to $126 billion as it shifts from proving a concept to scaling globally.
waymo Waymo Secures $16 Billion to Expand Robotaxi Service to London and Tokyo Waymo raises a massive $16 billion funding round to accelerate its international expansion into over a dozen new cities. The Alphabet-owned company currently provides 400,000 autonomous rides weekly across six major U.S. markets.
tesla Tesla Faces Another Year of Unfulfilled Elon Musk Promises Elon Musk makes a series of bold claims for Tesla in 2024, including affordable robotaxis and autonomous fleets, but continues to rely on loose definitions of self-driving technology.
waymo Waymo Robotaxi Strikes Serve Delivery Bot in Los Angeles Intersection A Waymo robotaxi hits a Serve Robotics delivery robot at a Los Angeles intersection, sparking questions about liability between autonomous vehicle operators. Neither vehicle suffers damage after the low-speed collision.
waymo Waymo Leads US Robotaxi Market As Rivals Gear Up For 2025 Waymo dominates the U.S. robotaxi market in 2024 after completing millions of autonomous rides, while competitors like Tesla and Zoox prepare to challenge its lead.
waymo Waymo Expands Robotaxi Testing Outside US for First Time With Tokyo Debut Waymo prepares to test its autonomous vehicles on Tokyo's public roads in early 2025, marking its first international expansion. The company partners with local taxi firms to navigate left-hand traffic and dense urban streets.
waymo Waymo Robotaxi Caught Circling Roundabout in Viral Video Loop A Waymo robotaxi goes viral after video shows it stuck circling a roundabout repeatedly with no passengers inside. The company resolves the strange looping behavior by quickly deploying a new software update to its entire fleet.
gm GM Abruptly Ends Cruise Robotaxi Program, Absorbs Startup Into Automaker General Motors shocks Cruise employees by announcing the sudden end of the robotaxi program via a Slack message. The self-driving startup will be absorbed into GM to focus on personal autonomous vehicles instead.
microsoft Microsoft Faces $800 Million Loss Following GM Cruise Robotaxi Shutdown Microsoft takes a massive $800 million impairment charge after General Motors abruptly ends its Cruise robotaxi program. The financial hit drops the tech giant's quarterly earnings per share by approximately nine cents.