Global Scans · Driverless · Weekly Summary

• [New] Tesla's driverless taxis could reach half of the United States population by the end of 2025, significantly outpacing Waymo's current coverage of about 3%. Reuters
• [New] While Waymo had to partner with manufacturers like Jaguar to produce their cars, Tesla already has millions of cars out on the roads that it hopes it can convert to fully autonomous robotaxis using software updates. Impakter
• [New] Waymo's autonomous vehicles rely on cameras, radar, and lidar, combined with AI and machine learning, to perceive the environment, predict road user behaviour, and navigate in real time. CBT News
• [New] Waymo plans to bring its robotaxi service to Washington, D.C., in 2026 and is testing autonomous operations with safety drivers in Boston, New York City and Philadelphia, all cities that can experience harsh winter weather. Smart Cities Dive
• [New] Tesla is, as always, controversial, with some seeing the Texas approval as the first step to large-scale deployment of FSD, and the human safety monitor as a temporary issue, while others believe Tesla will never release truly autonomous robotaxis. Securities.io
• [New] Last month, HSBC estimated that it could take eight years for driverless taxi services to break even when overlooked costs, such as cleaning, charging and parking fleet vehicles, are taken into account. Yahoo
• Google-owned Waymo is going to begin testing its autonomous vehicles in the busiest city in the US: New York. Sherwood News
• 2025 will be the year of robo-taxis, with Waymo leading at 250,000 fully autonomous paid rides per week, and its safety metrics potentially surpassing human levels soon. Digital Habitats
• Advancements in autonomous driving technologies are accelerating rapidly, with projections estimating that by 2030, around 15 million self-driving vehicles could be in operation globally. Grady Andersen
• Dubai aims for 25% of all daily trips to be autonomous - including eVTOLs - by 2030, weaving aerial mobility into its existing transport ecosystem and building custom-designed vertiports at key locations. Business Aviation
• Self-driving taxis will appear on roads in London in 2026, after the UK government confirmed that trials of fully autonomous vehicles would be brought forward to spring 2026. Birmingham Live
• With autonomous, electric rides offering cheaper fares due to lower operational costs, Tesla's move from Austin to NYC could revolutionize urban transportation. OpenTools
• Admittedly, Tesla will need to catch up to Google's Waymo, which has been providing autonomous rides in several cities for nearly five years. Forbes
• Autonomous rides could potentially yield even more - possibly reaching $750 billion annually. Forbes
• Alphabet-owned Waymo has confirmed plans to launch a fully driverless electric robotaxi service in Dallas in 2026, building on earlier deployments across Phoenix, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Miami, Austin, and Atlanta. Driverless Commute
• Other companies are far ahead: By next year, Waymo will operate driverless taxis in at least seven U.S. cities, while Amazon's Zoox, which just opened a second Bay Area factory, will soon offer rides in San Francisco, Las Vegas, Austin and Miami. Mass Transit
• Aurora plans to have tens of driverless trucks operating on public roads by the end of the year and hundreds by the end of 2026. TechCrunch
• Fully autonomous electric cars are currently being developed by businesses like Tesla and might be accessible to consumers within a few years. Precedence Research
• By 2030, a fifth of new cars sold in China will be fully driverless, and 70% will feature advanced assisted-driving technology. Rest of World

Last updated: 31 August 2025