Now, Here’s What’s Happening

Aurora has officially begun driverless freight hauls between Dallas and Houston, becoming the first company in the U.S. to deploy driver-out Class 8 trucks for long-distance trucking. (Some companies, like Gatik, have focused on short-haul deliveries; while others, such as Kodiak Robotics and Bot Auto, are running autonomous freight operations, but with human oversight in the cab).

The company’s initial launch partners are Uber Freight and Hirschbach Motor Lines—the latter specializing in temperature-sensitive cargo. Aurora is currently operating a single self-driving truck on the Dallas–Houston corridor, but it plans to expand its autonomous routes later this year to include destinations like El Paso, Texas, and Phoenix, Arizona.

After four years of supervised practice hauls, this fully driverless milestone represents a well-earned victory. Congratulations to the Aurora team!

Waymo is giving the public a rare look inside its plant in Mesa, Arizona. The 239,000-square-foot facility currently supports the integration of Waymo’s technology into Jaguar I-Pace vehicles and is set to expand next year to accommodate production of the Zeekr RT (video). Over time, the factory will incorporate automated assembly lines and other operational efficiencies to support multiple vehicle platforms.

Waymo also revealed that it recently received its final shipment of Jaguar I-Pace vehicles. Looking ahead, the company plans to add 2,000 more robotaxis to its fleet in 2026, bringing its total to approximately 3,500 vehicles. These figures offer a rare window into Waymo’s fleet scaling strategy, as the company has historically kept such details under wraps.

Meanwhile Waymo continues to impress with its standout safety record, recently announcing results from a peer-reviewed study that highlights the performance of its autonomous vehicles across 56.7 million fully driverless miles. The findings confirm that the Waymo Driver significantly outperforms human drivers across key safety metrics:

• 96% fewer vehicle-to-vehicle collisions
• 92% fewer crashes involving injuries to pedestrians
• 82% fewer crashes involving injuries to cyclists
• 82% fewer crashes involving injuries to motorcyclists

Beyond frequency reductions, Waymo emphasized its system’s ability to mitigate the severity of collisions when they do occur, especially in cases where serious injuries might be expected.

To complement the report, Waymo released a video compilation highlighting its crash avoidance capabilities. Several clips have already gone viral on social media. A standout moment for many viewers—including myself—is the opening clip: a moped rider hits a curb and launches into a front flip, an event captured in the system’s visualization overlay.

This report not only reinforces the long-term viability of autonomous vehicles but also helps build public confidence through transparent, data-driven safety benchmarks.

Last week we ran a poll asking our readers how much they would be willing to spend to own a Waymo, including monthly fees. The poll came on the heels of Google CEO Sundar Pichai’s comment suggesting that Waymo might explore selling its self-driving car directly to consumers. Shortly afterward, Waymo confirmed that it had partnered with Toyota to explore private ownership. In light of this news, here are the results of the poll:

The poll results are telling. While respondents largely viewed the prospect of owning a private Waymo as similar to buying a conventional, human-driven vehicle, a notable majority indicated they’d be willing to pay a monthly service fee—approximately equivalent to what they currently pay for auto insurance.

This suggests a paradigm shift in how consumers perceive vehicle ownership. If Waymo’s subscription fee were to cover services equivalent to what traditional insurance provides, it could represent a compelling and cost-effective value proposition.

Envisioning the customer experience: a buyer purchases a purpose-built Toyota vehicle preloaded with Waymo Driver technology. They then enroll in a service plan that bundles remote support, roadside assistance, and full insurance coverage. The result? A seamless, hands-off ownership experience where driving becomes entirely optional.

This is more than just a technical milestone—it’s the beginning of a new model for personal transportation. And personally, I can’t wait to see it become a reality.

In Other News…

• Wayve’s Embodied AI navigates a tricky situation
• Uber partners with May Mobility to deploy “thousands” of robotaxis
• Also: Uber partners with Chinese startup Momenta to launch robotaxi service in Europe next year

Alright, that’s it from me… until next week!

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