Technology companies that develop vehicle self-guiding technology have used brakes on the tests on the public roads of California, according to new data from the Department of Motor Vehicles of the State.
The Agency reported a total of 4.5 million autonomous vehicle testing miles recorded in 2024, a 50% reduction since the previous year. This number covers two types of licenses: autonomous vehicles with human safety drivers behind the steering wheel and those that allow the driver -free test.
The decline is more intense in the driver -free test category, according to DMV, the body that regulates autonomous vehicle tests in the state. The files show that driver -free tests decreased by 83% from 3.26 million miles in 2023 to just 552,895 miles last year.
DMV also released annual disconnection reportswhich details of cases where human drivers had to take control due to technology’s failures or security concerns. These reports were controversial in the past, because companies use different standards, making it impossible to compare the results or evaluate the adequacy of autonomous vehicle technology.
The new elements reflect an industry with few players, the transition of Waymo to the Robotaxi commercial operator and the suspension and the final inclination of the cruise from its parent company GM.
Cruise and Waymo have historically reported the highest test miles. For example, the cruise was recorded 2.6 million miles of testing in 2023 until DMV suspended its licenses in October of that year. The company never restarted tests in California. Waymo has been removed from the tests as it increases commercial businesses in San Francisco and Los Angeles.
There has been a remarkable decline in the last three years on new licenses issued by DMV to test a human driver. In 2022 four licenses were issued. The following year two new licenses were granted. DMV gave only one new license in 2024.
Today, only 31 companies hold licenses for a security guide-and of them, only 11 conducted public roads in 2024. Nine companies submitted reports for the period 2023-2024 have stopped and withdrawing from the program, according to the program, according to the program, DMV. Tesla, for example, did not write any autonomous miles, according to the report.
Six companies, such as Autox, Nuro, Weride, Waymo and Zoox, have been approved for driver -free tests. Only Mercedes-Benz (which has an advanced driver help system that allows hands to drive, eyes on certain highways), Nuro and Waymo have licenses that allow commercial activities.
This is in contrast to the hostile and pre -existing days of autonomous vehicles when business funds flow and up to 60 companies had licenses to test the so -called autonomous vehicles. A period of unification scanned the hatchery industry in 2019.
Today, fewer companies are willing to throw millions into the development of autonomous vehicle technology. Although there are some recent exaggerations. Wayve increased $ 1 billion in May and Waymo increased $ 5.6 billion in November.
The result is a brief list of active participants – with Waymo in front, in terms of tests and commercial miles. UPSHOT is a consolidated industry that has no competition on the commercial front.
