TechCrunch Mobility: The hidden human cost of robotaxis
Welcome back to TechCrunch Mobility, your hub for the future of transportation and now, more than ever, the role AI is playing in it.
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Waymo accelerates robotaxi expansion with launches in Denver, San Diego, and Tampa
Waymo will begin inviting riders on a rolling basis and slowly ramp up access in the three cities, following its usual commercial playbook.
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Waymo goes on offense ahead of Tesla’s Cybercab launch
Waymo argued that fully autonomous vehicles aren’t possible without using a mix of sensors and warned that pure end-to-end AI systems aren’t safe enough.
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Sprains, pain, and whiplash: Waymo and Zoox test drivers are getting hurt as robotaxis scale
Test drivers for Waymo and Zoox sustained more than two dozen injuries in 2024 and 2025 from hard braking or other sudden movements made by the autonomous vehicles, according to a TechCrunch review of data submitted to OSHA.
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TechCrunch Mobility: The custom chip driving Waymo’s robotaxi ambitions
Welcome back to TechCrunch Mobility — your central hub for news and insights on the future of transportation.
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Waymo hands over documents in NHTSA’s child collision probe
The responses to NHTSA’s questions so far are redacted entirely, citing “confidential business information.”
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Tesla, Uber, and Waymo all get the OK to operate thousands of robotaxis in Nevada
Together, these permits would allow up to 8,000 robotaxis to be deployed over the next 12 months.
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Waymo’s cheaper, next-gen robotaxi is now open to all riders in these three cities
The next-generation robotaxi, called the Waymo Ojai, is central to the company’s push towards mass scale, and eventually, profitability.
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Who’s driving Waymo’s self-driving cars? Sometimes, the police.
First responders have had to take control of Waymo vehicles and move them during emergency situations, including in at least two active crime scenes, TechCrunch found.
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Waymo’s skyrocketing ridership in one chart
Waymo’s weekly paid robotaxi trips have increased tenfold in less than two years.
