Waymo deploys sixth-generation Ojai robotaxis with enhanced weather navigation to employees in San Francisco and Los Angeles, announcing expansion plans to 10 US cities and London while facing political scrutiny over Chinese-made vehicles in the rapidly growing $25+ billion robotaxi market.
Waymo's chief safety officer confirms that remote operators in the Philippines provide only guidance to robotaxis during challenging situations, while the autonomous vehicles retain full control of all driving decisions and tasks.
California Teamsters demand indefinite suspension of Waymo's operating license after a self-driving car strikes a child in Santa Monica, prompting federal investigation while the union cites ongoing safety risks and job threats from autonomous vehicles.
A Waymo robotaxi strikes a child near a Santa Monica elementary school during drop-off hours, causing minor injuries when the child suddenly enters the roadway from behind a parked SUV, prompting federal investigations by NHTSA and NTSB into the autonomous vehicle's safety protocols around schools.
Tesla accelerates Cybercab autonomous vehicle testing with high-speed highway trials and cold weather validation in Buffalo, targeting production start in April and commercial deployment by late 2026.
Ford unveils plans to launch an AI voice assistant this year and introduce Level 3 hands-free, eyes-off autonomous driving by 2028, as the automaker scrambles to cut costs and develop profitable electric vehicles after canceling the unprofitable F-150 Lightning.
NVIDIA launches Alpamayo, an open-source AI ecosystem featuring a 10-billion-parameter reasoning model, simulation framework, and 1,700+ hours of driving data to help companies like JLR, Lucid Motors, and Uber develop level 4 autonomous vehicles capable of handling complex driving scenarios.
Waymo resumes San Francisco robotaxi operations after suspending service during weekend power outages that left 130,000 customers without electricity and caused multiple autonomous vehicles to stall at intersections with non-functioning traffic signals.
Uber and Lyft partner with Chinese tech giant Baidu to test autonomous robotaxis in London starting 2026, with Lyft planning to deploy hundreds of electric RT6 SUVs pending regulatory approval, joining Waymo and Wayve in the city's growing autonomous vehicle landscape.
Uber launches the Middle East's first fully driverless robotaxi service in Abu Dhabi through partnership with Chinese company WeRide, allowing users to book autonomous vehicles through UberX and Uber Comfort on Yas Island, with plans to expand to 15 more cities across Europe within five years.