Way’mo Problems in New York, Way’mo Success in California
August 31, 2025
This Week in The Autonomy Economy is presented by Koop, a specialist insurance provider focused on robotics and autonomous vehicles.
This Week in the Autonomy Economy, Waymo is living out the famous opening of Charles Dickens’ A Tale of Two Cities: It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness.
In California, it is the best of times. Waymo continues to expand service, add vehicles, and scale. The company has the necessary permits, regulatory trust, and market demand to grow a very big business. It is, in every sense, the age of wisdom.
In New York, however, it is the worst of times. Waymo is facing mounting backlash for testing just eight vehicles under what have been called “the nation’s strictest safety rules.”
With the Mayoral race all but decided, and unlikely to deliver a positive outcome for the company or the broader industry, one has to ask: was testing in New York a strategic misstep, or simply inexperience?
Regardless, Waymo now finds itself in both the best and worst of times from a regulatory standpoint. Where this novel ends is anyone’s guess, but the clues point to one undeniable fact: change is coming.
That change must start on the street. Waymo needs to build a ground game, meeting New Yorkers where they live and work, face-to-face, block by block. Think of New York not as a policy campaign, but as a political one.
The first step is not lobbying lawmakers, but winning over the public. Earn credibility, dispel rumors, and show New Yorkers firsthand why autonomy matters.
Once hearts and minds are won, the next step is clear: campaign to change the law while testing continues. With public support, Waymo no longer fights alone, New Yorkers themselves become advocates and the champions.
It’s not too late to change course. Imagine hailing a Waymo in Manhattan in five years, safe, trusted, and stress-free. No more credit card machines being “magically broken,” just smooth quiet rides to your destination.
Turn left, turn right, Waymos are everywhere. They’ve become part of the fabric of New York, just like the Yankees, the Mets, and the Empire State Building. They made it here, now they can make it anywhere.
That’s the vision of a true New York comeback. Or, as Al Michaels so memorably asked during the Miracle on Ice in Lake Placid: “Do you believe in miracles? Yes!”
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What’s Moving the Markets
Way’mo Problems in New York, Way’mo Success in California
Despite the fanfare of sending eight Waymo autonomous vehicles to New York for testing under what is billed as “operating the nation’s strictest safety rules,” opposition is mounting, along with increasingly outlandish headlines.
From “Really Bad Idea” to “It’s Way No” to the sensational “Invasion of the Body-Snatchers,” the headlines underscore the uphill battle Waymo faces. Several groups, including the New York State Federation of Taxi Drivers, are actively pressuring Governor Hochul to shut down the testing program.
Even former Mayor Bill de Blasio weighed in this week, posting on X:
And the political winds may only get tougher. As one observer noted: “Just wait until Zohran Mamdani becomes mayor, then Waymo will have Way’mo problems.”
Sinatra’s famous line “If I can make it there, I’ll make it anywhere” may not apply to New York anytime soon. Realistically, not until at least 2027 depending on the Governor’s race, or 2030 if there’s a change in Mayor.
For now, it appears years away before Waymo, or any autonomous vehicle company, is able to deploy a commercial robotaxi service in New York.
Meanwhile, in California, the story is very different. Despite stringent regulations, Waymo continues to scale. According to the San Francisco Examiner, the company now operates more than 800 vehicles in the Bay Area and over 500 in Los Angeles. With these latest numbers, Waymo’s U.S. fleet has surpassed 2,000 robotaxis.
What Waymo has achieved is nothing short of impressive. The data clearly demonstrates that the company is the undisputed leader in developing and commercializing robotaxis, today.
The challenge is not technical, it’s political. The political climate in New York threatens to derail not just Waymo but the entire industry. Why? Special interests. Spend time researching the groups aligned with public transit and you’ll find familiar talking points and patterns.
At the end of the day, it all comes down to money. Follow the money, and the answers will follow. And as you do, pay close attention to any statements from Zohran Mamdani about robotaxis or Waymo.
Our take: Despite today’s political headwinds in New York, the day will come when robotaxis serve all New Yorkers, transforming mobility, creating economic growth, and proving that autonomy can make it anywhere.
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Piquing Our Interest
Tesla Expands Austin Service Area, Adds More Robotaxis Tesla is continuing to scale iRobotaxi operations in Austin as it prepares to open the service to the public next month. This week, the company announced that it expanded the Robotaxi service area from 91 to 173 square miles and doubled the number of robotaxis in operation.
Stellantis Shuts Down In-House SAE Level 3 ADAS Program Stellantis has shut down their SAE Level 3 ADAS program, a decision reportedly driven by high costs and technological challenges. This move is not surprising, as traditional OEMs have consistently struggled to develop autonomous driving systems in-house. With the program now shuttered, the key question becomes; who will Stellantis license an autonomous driving system from?
The Road to Autonomy In The News
Axios: Uber Seeks Winning Model for Robotaxis As Uber develops their long-term robotaxi strategy, The Road to Autonomy founder and CEO Grayson Brulte told Axios: “Over time, you will see more and more deals structured this way and expanded to include real estate assets to manage the fleets,” referencing Uber’s decision to own robotaxi assets on its balance sheet.
📰 Before these stories were featured here, they were available on X. Follow @RoadToAutonomy today to stay up-to-date on the latest news and developments shaping the autonomy economy.
Social Buzz
The LiDAR Debate Continues
Every time you think the vision-only versus LiDAR debate has come to an end, it seemingly pops its head up and stirs the pot and leads to another bout.
Last weekend, Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi caused quite the kerfuffle when he said, “All of our partners that we are working with now are using a combination of camera, radar and LiDAR and, you know, I personally think that is the right solution, but I could be proven wrong.”
That statement caught the attention of Elon Musk, and the camera-only versus LiDAR debate was reignited and a new bout began.
Our take: For those keeping score at home, what round are we on now?
Tesla is currently ranked #1 with a bullish outlook on the AUTONOMY LEADERBOARD in the personally owned autonomous vehicle category.
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