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Waymo shared that it now provides 500,000 paid robot rides each week. This number is small compared to their human-driven counterparts, such as Lyft and Uber. But that wasn’t what I found most interesting. The rate of growth in the routes, the new markets and the comparison with the size of its fleet is what caught my attention. We’ve built a chart (which you can see below) that helps visualize the rapid scale.
That scale, however, creates new challenges, including the inevitable paralysis of robotics, as many did during the California blackout in December. It got us wondering, what happens when a robotaxi gets stuck — and who unsticks it?
Senior Journalist Sean O’Kane dug into Waymo’s system (which includes its own roadside assistance team), as well as at least six incidents where first responders had to step in and manually steer the stuck Waymo. In some cases, the robotaxis got stuck in the middle of an emergency: A police officer responding to a mass shooting in Austin earlier this month was diverted to first take a Waymo robotaxis away.
At its core, Sean found that when Waymo’s vehicles get stuck, the company relies on taxpayer-funded public services to move its vehicles for it.
Depending on who you talk to, this is either unacceptable, no big deal, or somewhere in between. In a recent hearing, San Francisco District 4 Supervisor Alan Wong he said many of his counterparts agree that “our first responders should not be AAA.”
For those shrugging their shoulders, I’d suggest thinking about what’s coming.
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This isn’t just a Waymo issue. Several companies hope to roll out paid robotics in the US this year, including Kinetic and Zoox. Teslawhich has its service in Austin, also has big ambitions. Each company may have a different system with varying degrees of reliance on first responders.
A little bird
A bird nearby Uber recently shared a piece of information about Waymowhich the ride-hailing company has partnered with in a few cities. According to this person, it takes up to 30% longer for a Waymo robotaxi to get somewhere compared to a human driver, due to how alert the robot car needs to be and its tendency to avoid potential challenges such as unprotected left turns. (Important note: I’ve been in a lot of Waymos and these vehicles can absolutely handle left turns, but they can be difficult and so it makes sense for robotaxis to avoid them.)
Do you have a tip for us? Email Kirsten Korosec at kirsten.korosec@techcrunch.com or my Signal at kkorosec.07 or email Sean O’Kane at sean.okane@techcrunch.com.
Offers!
Zip linethe US autonomous drone delivery and logistics startup has been around for years. Recently, its home delivery success and continued global expansion have helped it attract even more money.
The company said it raised another $200 million, adding to the recent funding round originally announced in January. The additional funds, which included participation from crypto investment firm Paradigm, pushed Zipline’s recent Series H round to $800 million. Fidelity Management & Research Company, Baillie Gifford, Valor Equity Partners and Tiger Global participated in the initial tranche that valued the drone delivery startup at $7.6 billion.
My story is based on why the startup may have found so many interested investors. TL;DR: Home delivery volume growth beat its forecasts in January and February, and CEO Keller Clifton said he expects it to in the next three months, relative to 2025.
Other offers that caught my eye…
NoTraffican Israeli traffic management software startup, raised $90 million in a Series C funding round led by PSG Equity, Axios said.
Rivian received another billion dollars from Volkswagen Group after completing one of its milestones under a technology joint venture between the two automakers. About $750 million comes in the form of equity investment. The other $250 million is either equity or convertible debt, depending on the prototypes Volkswagen Group provided to Rivian for testing. (The companies did not immediately clarify.)
Shield AIthe autonomous military aircraft maker, raised $1.5 billion in Series G funding at a post-funding valuation of $12.7 billion. The deal was made by PE firm Advent and an investment group JPMorganChase.
Swisha Bengaluru-based food delivery startup, has raised $38 million in a Series B round led by Hara Global and Bain Capital Ventures. Other investors included Accel, Stride Ventures and Alteria Capital.
Uber plans to invest in Vernthe company robotaxi under The Rimac Group. The undisclosed investment, which insiders tell us must be resolved in the coming months, is part of a broader deal that includes Pony to bring robotaxis to Europe, starting in Zagreb, Croatia.
Notable reads and other items
DoorDash has introduced relief payments for drivers as the Iran-US war raises gas prices.
Precursorthe EV trucking startup, continues to add to its product catalog. This time, the Harbinger chassis will be used in emergency vehicles for the 70-year-old Frazer company.
Faraday Future is clear with the Capital Market Commission. The SEC has closed its investigation into the electric vehicle startup, despite the SEC staff on the case recommending enforcement action last year.
Here is a current feature. Daredevilthe popular flight tracking app, has launched a new “Airport Intelligence” feature that provides users with real-time alerts and reasons for airport delays, available at 14,000 airports worldwide.
Sony Honda Mobilitythe joint venture between the two Japanese conglomerates is abandoning the two Afeela-branded electric vehicles it has spent the past few years developing. I received many press releases and invitations to see Afeela over the years and with each passing quarter it seemed less likely to become a reality.
The governor of Utah signed a bill enacting a liability framework for autonomous vehicles.
Zoox’s Custom-built robotaxis are navigating public roads in Austin and Miami after nearly two years of testing their vehicles in the cities. The company plans to begin offering rides at both locations later this year as part of its early rider program. Note: until it receives the waiver from the feds, Zoox cannot charge for rides.
One more thing…
Here are the results of my query about Rivian and the R2 robotaxi deal with Uber. As a reminder, this was the setup. Rivian plans to build thousands of R2 robotaxis, including the self-driving system. Is this a distraction and too big a risk OR is it critical to the long-term future of the company?
About 55% of voters think it’s a distraction, while 45% said the robotaxi’s pursuit is critical to its long-term future.
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