This week on Autonomy Markets, Grayson Brulte and Walter Piecyk discuss Tesla’s robotaxi launch in June 12th in Austin, Waymo’s relationship with Uber and Senator Lummis’ Autonomous Vehicle Advancement Act. 

Tesla’s initial robotaxi deployment in Austin will launch with just 10 Model Ys operating within a limited operational design domain (ODD). While modest in scale, investor interest is intensifying as Tesla plans to gradually expand its service area, potentially surpassing Waymo’s current coverage in Austin by year-end.

Meanwhile, Waymo and Uber face mounting pressure as Tesla enters the market. Speculation continues to grow around Waymo’s long-term partnership with Uber, raising questions about whether Waymo will pursue a hybrid strategy with Uber or focus solely on their Waymo One platform.

A potential partnership with Toyota could offer Waymo both strategic clarity and political capital, especially as U.S. lawmakers look to advance the Autonomous Vehicle Acceleration Act of 2025, a bill that could potentially lay the groundwork for a national autonomous framework.

Episode Chapters

0:00 Tesla Robotaxi Launch

6:56 Tesla Model Y Self-Delivery

8:16 Tesla Robotaxis on the Highway

10:20 New Tesla Robotaxi Markets 

12:23 Waymo Announcements 

18:05 Waymo / Uber Relationship 

27:32 What if Tesla Bundled Robotaxi Rides with a Car Lease?

29:17 Autonomous Vehicle Advancement Act

33:13 Unforced Error of the Week

35:07 Next Week

Recorded on Friday, May 30, 2025

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