Barclays Brief Robotaxis: The future of mobility
Dec 22, 2025
Ross Sandler, a Senior Research Analyst in the US Internet sector, dives into the exciting future of robotaxis. He shares his transformative experience riding in a Waymo without a driver. The discussion highlights the anticipated 2026 rollout of autonomous vehicles and the varying regulatory landscapes across states. Ross contrasts Waymo's LiDAR tech with Tesla's camera approach and delves into the challenges of scaling fleets through remote operator ratios. He also explores the potential disruption robotaxis pose to traditional ride-hailing services.
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First Robo-Taxi Ride Transformed Perception
- Ross Sandler describes his first robo-taxi ride as a transformative experience akin to moving from a Blackberry to an iPhone.
- He highlights the quiet, smooth ride and the ability to work or relax with full privacy inside the vehicle.
2026 Is The Year Deployments Scale
- Deployment will accelerate from tests in 2025 to about 30 US cities entering deployment in 2026 with more international rollouts following.
- Regulators review disengagement reports and grant approvals city- or state-level, so progress depends on miles between non-critical overrides.
Waymo Leads; Tesla Could Scale Fast
- Waymo currently operates at scale with ~2,000 vehicles and plans to roughly double by end-2026, but supply remains constrained versus demand.
- Tesla represents a different path with camera-based AI plus mass in-house production that could scale vehicle numbers rapidly.