Marketplace All-in-One Robotaxis moved into the fast lane in 2025
Dec 29, 2025
Kirsten Korosec, a transportation editor at TechCrunch with expertise in autonomous vehicles, discusses the explosive growth of robotaxis in 2025. She highlights Waymo as the frontrunner, noting its increasing ride volumes and ambitions for expansion. Other companies like Uber and Tesla are also making strides despite profitability challenges. Kirsten delves into the complex regulatory landscape and how public reception varies, with both excitement and pushback from citizens. She wraps up by hinting at what to expect in the coming years.
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Permits Shifted AVs Into Scale
- Waymo's commercial permits in California enabled a major scale-up from testing to regular service in 2024–25.
- By April 2025 Waymo was doing ~250,000 rides/week and aimed for a million rides as its next goal.
Zoox's Exemption Holds Back Commercial Launch
- Zoox currently operates under a federal exemption to demonstrate vehicles because their designs don't match traditional mechanisms.
- They hope to secure permission to operate commercially and open rides beyond free demonstrations in 2026.
Trucking Became A Major AV Frontier
- 2025 saw inroads not just for passenger robo-taxis but also for autonomous trucking and middle-mile services.
- The AV sector is diversifying into freight and logistics as a parallel growth area.