Tesla’s June 12 Robotaxi Launch Marks Arrival of Waymo’s First Real Competitor 🚘🤖

This Week in The Autonomy Economy, Bloomberg reported that Tesla is aiming to launch their robotaxi service in Austin on June 12th, Senator Lummis introduced the Autonomous Vehicle Act and Jim Mullen was appointed Executive Director of the Council for Economic Resilience (CFER).

It was a big week in the autonomy economy, especially on the policy front. Senator Lummis is assuming a leadership role on autonomous vehicles, emphasizing the importance of maintaining U.S. leadership in autonomous technology. Senator Lummis’ message is clear, autonomy will drive economic growth, revitalize domestic manufacturing, and spur innovation across the country.

Autonomy is good for the economy. The Council for Economic Resilience (CFER), the nation’s leading voice in advancing automation and autonomy to drive economic prosperity, announced the appointment of Jim Mullen as Executive Director.

With Mr. Mullen at the helm, CFER will be there every step of the way to ensure that all Americans benefit from the emerging autonomy economy. Building a resilient, innovation-led economy is a team effort, and no single influence can derail an effort that benefits every single member of society. 

That’s the vision behind the Autonomous Vehicle Act. The bill empowers Secretary Duffy to submit a comprehensive report to Congress outlining a national autonomous vehicle framework, one that removes regulatory roadblocks, accelerates economic growth, and ensures that America doesn’t become reliant on China for autonomous vehicles.

A national autonomous vehicle framework that includes trucks weighing over 10,001 pounds, would ensure that the American economy continues to grow. The future is autonomous and it is strategically important to include trucks, and logistics in the framework. 

With a framework in place, the autonomy economy can grow. Best of all, participation in the autonomy economy doesn’t require a college degree. All it requires is a can-do attitude and a willingness to roll up your sleeves and learn about automation and autonomy. 

Families will no longer have to debate whether they should send their son or daughter to college while potentially shackling them with hundreds of thousands of dollars of student debt, forcing them to work to pay off the debt when they graduate instead of working to save and build a life. Now there is a path to build a career debt-free, a path that benefits every single member of society.

This is the beauty of the emerging autonomy economy, it benefits every single member of society. Not just those with college degrees or those that can afford to go to college without debt, everyone and that is a beautiful thing.

The Future is Bright. The Future is Autonomous. The Future is one that everyone can economically participate in.

👔The Road to Autonomy provides market intelligence and strategic advisory services to institutional investors and companies, delivering insights needed to stay ahead of emerging trends in the autonomy economy. To learn more, say [email protected].

Companies Mentioned: $TSLA ( ▼ 3.8% ) 

WHAT’S MOVING THE MARKETS | AUTONOMOUS VEHICLES

Tesla’s June 12 Robotaxi Launch Marks Arrival of Waymo’s First Real Competitor

As Walter Piecyk accurately predicted on Autonomy Markets, Tesla will not launch their robotaxi service today, June 1st, despite widespread speculation and countdown clocks on X. According to a report from Bloomberg, Tesla is now targeting June 12th for the official launch of their robotaxi service in Austin.

While we now have an estimated launch date, key operational details remain unclear. We still do not know the precise service area or operating hours. Speculation suggests the service will initially be limited to the southern and southeastern parts of Austin, but no official confirmation has been provided.

What we do have confirmation of is the extraordinary volume of inaccurate reporting surrounding Tesla’s robotaxi launch. Many media outlets covering Tesla appear to have agendas that distort their coverage, putting opinion and promoting false narratives ahead of presenting the facts. 

Despite the noise and factually incorrect reporting, we remain optimistic about the Tesla robotaxi launch. Strip away the hype and disinformation, and what emerges is a company on the verge of disrupting an entire industry. 

Tesla has the potential to rewrite the autonomy playbook, forcing the sector's current market leader, Waymo to reassess and potentially reengineer their approach to autonomy.

We want to caution and reiterate that we are not suggesting that Waymo will abandon their reliance on high-definition maps or overhaul their sensor suite anytime soon. But, we are saying that Tesla’s vertically integrated approach to autonomy and manufacturing presents a strategic challenge that Waymo simply cannot ignore. 

Waymo’s partnership with Magna is smart and strategic. But what's next? Will Waymo and Magna establish a manufacturing or retrofitting facility in the Southeast to complement the one in Mesa, AZ? Or could they adopt a micro-factory model in certain regions around the world? And where does Hyundai factor into the picture long-term?

Will Hyundai eventually replace Magna or complement Waymo’s manufacturing strategy long-term? The bottom line is, Waymo is at a strategic disadvantage to Tesla when it comes to manufacturing robotaxis at this time.

Tesla builds their robotaxis entirely in the U.S. Waymo, by contrast, relies on a mix of U.S. and China-based manufacturing, raising serious strategic questions, particularly given rising geopolitical tensions.

Waymo does not, nor should they become a manufacturer of robotaxis, but the company does need to clarify their long-term manufacturing strategy. What is the future of the Hyundai partnership? Is it a core pillar of Waymo’s robotaxi manufacturing roadmap, or simply a placeholder until a potential Toyota deal materializes?

Then there’s the Zeekr RT, the Chinese-made robotaxi that we’ve long described as an unforced error. With China growing more aggressive in the South China Sea and the tariff dialogue heating up as President Trump recently wrote on his Truth Social platform; “China, perhaps not surprisingly to some, HAS TOTALLY VIOLATED ITS AGREEMENT WITH US. So much for being Mr. NICE GUY!”

Waymo’s Zeekr relationship now looks increasingly risky.

Waymo should heed Mr. Griffin’s wisdom. If they do not walk away from Zeekr, the financial and reputational damage could be immense. If China takes military action or invades Taiwan, Waymo’s China-made Zeekr robotaxis could become toxic overnight, and the public backlash could jeopardize everything that Alphabet and Waymo have spent decades building—public trust. 

Tesla has the clear advantage when it comes to manufacturing. Its robotaxis will be American-made. Waymo’s, at least for now, are not.

Even with over 10 million fully autonomous paid rides completed, there are self-inflicted storm clouds emerging on the horizon. Operationally, Waymo may lead today. But tomorrow, geopolitics and or manufacturing realities could flip the script.

At the end of the day, both Tesla and Waymo bring distinct advantages to the table, and both are poised to be major players in the robotaxi and personally-owned autonomous vehicle markets, assuming no major geopolitical upheavals derail their plans.

As competition heats up, the real winner is the American public, who stand to gain from safer, more efficient transportation that will fuel economic growth for decades to come.

Our take: Sometimes the smallest decisions end up having the largest impact.

Companies Mentioned: $TSLA ( ▼ 3.8% ), $GOOGL ( ▲ 2.35% ) 

Tesla is currently ranked #1 with a bullish outlook on the AUTONOMY LEADERBOARD in the personally-owned autonomous vehicle category.

Waymo is currently ranked #1 with a bullish outlook on the AUTONOMY LEADERBOARD in the autonomous vehicle category.

ADVOCATING FOR THE AUTONOMY ECONOMY | SPONSORED

Automation and autonomy will strengthen the economy, create jobs, and reduce inflation. Council for Economic Resilience is dedicated to promoting the future of autonomy and automation for the benefit of the American public.

Get Engaged, Learn More visit CNFER.org

Council for Economic Resilience, Inc. is a 501(c)4 Advocacy Group

PIQUING OUR INTEREST

Autonomous Vehicle Advancement Act Senator Lummis recently introduced the Autonomous Vehicle Act in an effort to accelerate the development and commercialization of autonomous vehicles in the United States.

Council for Economic Resilience Appoints Jim Mullen as Executive Director The Council for Economic Resilience announced this week that Jim Mullen, former Acting Administrator and Chief Counsel at the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) has been appointed Executive Director.

Waymo is Hitting the Road and Heading to San Antonio, Houston and Orlando Waymo is continuing to embark U.S. road trips, announcing new trips this week to San Antonio, Houston, and Orlando.

Beep, Beep, Here Comes Waymo A California regulation requiring electric vehicles to emit a beeping sound while reversing is causing a stir in a Santa Monica neighborhood, where some residents are openly trying to sabotage the vehicles from reaching the depot.

📰 Before these stories were featured here, they were available on X. Follow @RoadToAutonomy today to stay up-to-date on the latest news and developments shaping the autonomy economy.

SOCIAL BUZZ | AUTONOMOUS VEHICLES

Tesla Moves One Step Closer to Fully Autonomous

This month, Tesla will begin operating a fully autonomous (FSD Unsupervised) robotaxi service in Austin and they appear to be ahead of schedule. Robotaxis are cool, but self-delivery is even cooler. If Tesla can pull off self-delivery from the factory they could build micro-factories around the country and use them to scale both the robotaxi fleet and sell more vehicles for lower costs. 

If Tesla succeeds in autonomously delivering vehicles directly from the factory to customers’ homes, it could pave the way for a nationwide network of micro-factories, enabling Tesla to rapidly scale their robotaxi fleet and sell more vehicles at lower cost.

Our take: Tesla is not a car company, it is not a technology company, it is an optimization company.

Companies Mentioned: $TSLA ( ▼ 3.8% )

SOCIAL BUZZ | AUTONOMOUS VEHICLES

The Narrative is Shifting as Waymo Scales

The old narrative was autonomous vehicles will never scale, they couldn’t handle complex tasks, people wouldn’t trust them or want to ride in them. The good news, all of those misconceptions have faded away as Waymo continues to safely expand commercial operations around the world. And the best part? They’re just getting started.

Our take: As Waymo extends their lead in the development and commercialization of robotaxis, few companies will be able to catch up. Once that reality sets in, tough questions will follow, first internally and then externally. It’s only a matter of time before those conversations begin and investors begin to ask, can you really compete with Waymo?

Companies Mentioned: $GOOGL ( ▲ 2.35% ) 

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From Partnerships to Power Plays: The Road Ahead for Autonomous Trucking

(May 27, 2025) Chuck Price, President, AI Kinetics joined Grayson Brulte on The Road to Autonomy podcast to discuss the current state of autonomous trucking.

Watch on YouTube | Spotify | X

Companies Mentioned: $GOOGL ( ▲ 2.35% ), $VLVLY ( ▼ 1.24% ), $PCAR ( ▲ 0.14% ), $AUR ( ▼ 2.94% ) 

AUTONOMY MARKETS PODCAST

Tesla’s Robotaxi Launch, Waymo and Uber’s Future Together, AV Policy Gains Momentum

(May 31, 2025) This week on Autonomy Markets, Grayson Brulte and Walter Piecyk discuss Tesla’s robotaxi launch in June 12th in Austin, Waymo’s relationship with Uber and Senator Lummis’ Autonomous Vehicle Advancement Act.

Watch on YouTube | Spotify | X

Companies Mentioned: $TSLA ( ▼ 3.8% ), $GOOGL ( ▲ 2.35% ), $UBER ( ▼ 0.82% )