Robotaxi challenges: is Waymo the last man standing?

Authorities in Los Angeles and San Fransico have backed Waymo to operate more self-driving taxis while putting the brakes on the planned growth by GM-backed Cruise. Until March of this year, Waymo could only operate within tightly defined areas of either city, but its new licenses allow Waymo vehicles to roam further afield. However, in late May reports emerged that the NHTSA was investigation a number of collisions involving Waymo robotaxis which, in the words of the NHTSA, “a competent driver would be expected to avoid.”

Cruise by contrast hit the headlines in a negative way in September and October 2023. Two Cruise robotaxis prevented an ambulance from getting a patient to hospital: the patient died. Following this, Cruise was subsequently suspended from operating not just in San Francisco but also in other US cities where it had projects running. A few months later, in March 2024, Apple announced it was abandoning its plans to move into driverless vehicles, while Tesla’s efforts in this area have yet to bear fruit. The driverless car market, which seemed poised for take-off not so long ago, is now under more scrutiny than before and the widespread adoption of the technology is clearly some way off.