Boston: Union‑backed Ordinance Targets Waymo Rollout
Boston unions, backed by the Teamsters, have proposed legislation that would require human drivers in autonomous vehicles weighing over 10,000 pounds, although smaller AVs could operate without drivers. This is in direct response to Waymo’s streetmapping and early- testing phases in the city where it is preparing for full rollout. The union coalition, joined by city officials, has called for stricter regulation before allowing driverless operations, citing safety and job protection concerns. The proposed ordinance would also prevent municipalities from banning or overly regulating AVs, preempting local control. Waymo’s phased entry includes mapping streets, followed by testing with safety operators, then employee-only rides, and finally driverless services for customers. Proponents argue Waymo’s service statistically improves road safety although unions remain skeptical, and suspicion toward the deployment continues to grow.
Las Vegas: Remote Driving and Robotaxis in the Spotlight
Las Vegas is emerging as a hub for both autonomous vehicles and teledriving technologies, with the city actively encouraging innovation in mobility. Zoox now operates fully driverless ride demonstrations from Resorts World along the Las Vegas Strip, with no human behind the wheel, offering loop rides for visitors. This launch marks a significant step in real-world commercial robotaxi deployment, backed by Zoox’s partnership with Resorts World that includes dedicated pickup/drop‑off infrastructure. At the same time, Vay, a remote‑driving startup with a US office in Las Vegas, is showcasing a teledriving model where human operators control vehicles remotely to bridge autonomy gaps. The dual emergence of fully autonomous and remote‑driving systems positions Las Vegas at the forefront of the evolving AV landscape. Observers suggest this blend may offer a faster path to scalable robotaxi services while still addressing safety and job concerns.
California: Tesla’s Robotaxi Plans Hit Regulatory Roadblocks
A popular robotaxi company’s ambitions to launch a fully autonomous service in California have run into regulatory barriers as it lacks the necessary DMV and CPUC permits to operate without human oversight. While the company has begun ride‑hailing in the Bay Area, these services still rely on human drivers or safety overseers, meaning they fall short of the true robotaxi model. The company has held internal meetings with regulators since 2024, but no permit for commercial autonomous usage has been approved; state officials issued stern warnings after media reports raised unrealistic expectations of a driverless launch. A lawsuit from the California DMV over its autonomous driving marketing further compounds scrutiny. Meanwhile, the company continues limited robotaxi trials in Austin, where vehicles operate with onboard safety monitors and roughly 7,000 miles have been logged in June 2025 – July 2025. Critics argue this “vision‑only” camera‑based approach may underperform against competitors that use lidar and rich mapping especially under California’s tighter standards.
WeRide: Scaling Global Robotaxi Ambitions
Chinese autonomous driving company WeRide Inc. has announced plans to significantly boost spending to accelerate global robotaxi deployment. The firm holds driverless permits in multiple countries—including China, US, UAE, Singapore, and France—positioning it among the few with global operational authority. According to its investor release, WeRide’s robotaxi revenue surged 836.7% year-over-year in Q2 2025, with gross profit growing 40.6% to about RMB 35.7 million (US$5 million), and margins around 28.1%. The increased spending will support expansion into new cities and commercialization strategies, targeting broader adoption beyond testing zones. WeRide’s global reach and rapid growth contrasted with the slower rollouts of competitors highlight its ambitions to leapfrog into mainstream robotaxi deployment worldwide.
Dallas: Waymo’s Next Frontier in 2026
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. Unlike its Austin operation (booked via a popular ridesharing company), Dallas rides will be managed through Waymo’s own app, with an operations partnership with Avis Budget Group handling charging, maintenance and depot services. To date, Waymo operates around 1,500 vehicles and processes over 250,000 rides weekly, making it the autonomous ride‑hailing industry leader by volume and geographic spread. Additional planned expansions include new US cities like Washington, DC, and Miami, plus international testing in Tokyo. Analysts see this move as a critical step in scaling robotaxi services from niche pilots toward broad urban adoption and ecosystem integration.
