Who is Winning the Robotaxi Heavyweight Fight? Waymo or Tesla?

This week on Autonomy Markets, Grayson Brulte and Walter Piecyk discuss the new expansion announcements from both Waymo and Tesla, framing it as a “heavyweight fight”. 

Waymo announced plans to expand to Denver and Seattle, with Denver set to become the first city where its fleet will include both Jaguar I-PACEs and Zeekrs. The company also gained regulatory approval to operate at the San Jose (SJC) airport, a move Grayson Brulte predicted five months ago on a previous episode.

Meanwhile, Tesla opened the public waitlist for its Robotaxi app, which quickly surged up the Apple App Store charts, reaching #1 in the travel category and #8 overall among free apps.

The discussion then broadens beyond the Waymo–Tesla rivalry, touching on the political headwinds Waymo faces in Seattle, NHTSA’s recent regulatory changes designed to accelerate autonomous vehicle commercialization, and Torc’s $660 million annual burn rate as Daimler Truck explores external funding options.

Episode Chapters

0:00 Waymo-Tesla Competition 

5:48 Waymo’s Denver Expansion 

8:01 No Uber Partnership for Denver or Seattle?

10:36 Waymo’s Affection for Unwelcoming Cities, Including Seattle 

15:24 Benefits of Autonomy 

16:37 Updated NHTSA Rules

19:23 Waymo Expands to San Jose Airport, Is SFO Next?

24:22 Tesla Opens Robotaxi Waitlist 

27:43 Highway Unlocks

30:44 Avride Launching on Uber in Dallas

33:16 Tensor Auto

35:49 Daimler Truck is Seeking Outside Capital for Torc

40:18 Next Week

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