Wayve Catches a Big Nissan Wave, Surfs Into the Big Leagues 🏄‍♂️

This Week in The Autonomy Economy, Wayve caught the big Nissan Wayve, Lyft further took control of their autonomy narrative and questions continue to swirl around the data coming out of Austin.

Is YipitData data accurate and does it truly paint a full picture? We remain skeptical and would argue that their data should not be used to benchmark the success of a robotaxi deployment. 

Last December, YipitData claimed that Waymo’s market share in San Francisco matched Lyft’s. In reality this data was factually incorrect, yet it was used to build a misleading narrative until Lyft CEO David Risher publicly refuted the claim on X. 

It turns out the opposite was true. Lyft was experiencing growth in San Francisco, not losing marketshare, quite the opposite of what the YipitData data showed. Now once again YipitData is front and center when it comes to determining the growth of Waymo in a market. 

This week, YipitData released new data showing that 20% of all Uber rides in Austin were in Waymos. But so far, neither Uber nor Waymo has commented on the accuracy of the data. 

With YipitData’s inconsistent track record relating to Waymo data, it is now Dara Khosrowshahi’s turn to have his David Risher moment. Mr. Khosrowshahi should publicly confirm the accuracy of the data and/or share insights into the Waymo deployment on Uber in Austin. 

If there is no comment on the accuracy of the data from either Mr. Khosrowshahi or Uber, when Waymo launches in Atlanta on Uber we can expect the same narrative to emerge and the uncertainty around the data to remain.

If we do not receive a comment from Uber and the numbers in Austin are indeed accurate (or very close to being accurate) the growing bullish investor sentiment about Uber’s ability to drive demand will be validated. If the numbers are indeed incorrect, the question remains, does Waymo even need Uber to generate demand?

Furthermore, what kind of demand will the new Waymo/Google Maps integration drive? Could Google Maps potentially replace the Uber demand in the future?

Right now, there are more questions than answers. What the market needs is clarity. If the uncertainty around YipitData persists, it may be time to discount YipitData entirely as a credible benchmark for the success of a robotaxi deployment. 

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Companies Mentioned: $NSANY ( ▲ 0.45% ), $LYFT ( ▲ 0.09% ), $UBER ( ▲ 1.26% ), $GOOGL ( ▼ 1.74% ) 

WHAT’S MOVING THE MARKETS | LICENSING

Wayve Catches a Big Nissan Wave, Surfs Into the Big Leagues

Wayve has caught the big Nissan wave and they are surfing it into a partnership that will see the Wayve AI Driver power Nissan’s next-generation ProPILOT autonomous driving system beginning in fiscal year 2027. 

While Wayve’s autonomous driving technology will initially be used as an SAE Level 2 system, there is a very clear path for Wayve and Nissan to co-develop personally-owned autonomous vehicles that will be sold to both consumers and fleets.

By 2030, we fully expect an announcement confirming the expanded partnership. Unlike many of their competitors Wayve does not rely on HD maps. Without having to rely on HD Maps, Wayve’s autonomous driving system is highly scalable in a very similar manner to Tesla.

When Tesla “cracks” full self-driving, which we are fully confident that they will, every global auto manufacturer will be forced to respond with a compelling personally-owned autonomous vehicle. This is a process that will both be costly and time-consuming, and most likely force OEMs into global autonomous driving licensing deals. 

Nissan knows that this will become a reality, so they jumped ahead of the market and signed a deal with Wayve. Wayve will be Nissan’s answer to Tesla and Wayve’s autonomous driving system will power Nissan sales into the future. 

If you are interested in learning more about Wayve, we would recommend the following podcast:

• AV 2.0, Wayve’s Approach to Autonomous Driving, A conversation with Alex Kendall, Co-Founder & CEO, Wayve (March 26, 2024)

Our take: Ivan Espinosa has only been on the job as CEO of Nissan for 13 days, and yet he already has his answer to Tesla’s FSD—Wayve. While this partnership was clearly in motion before Mr. Espinosa officially became CEO on April 1st, it only reinforces his commitment to accelerating decision-making and developing new uniquely Nissan models that will sell. Wayve, in our opinion, is the perfect fit for this vision as Wayve will accelerate Nissan sales.

Companies Mentioned: $NSANY ( ▲ 0.45% ), $TSLA ( ▲ 0.7% ) 

Wayve is currently ranked #1 with a bullish outlook on the AUTONOMY LEADERBOARD in the licensing category.

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WHAT’S MOVING THE MARKETS | SOFTWARE PLATFORMS

Lyft Takes the Wheel on the Autonomy Narrative

Lyft is doing a fantastic job of reshaping their autonomy narrative and transforming what was once seen as a weakness into a strategic strength. This week Lyft published a blog post spotlighting their subsidiary, Flexdrive, and how fleet management solutions will help autonomous vehicle fleets scale profitability.

Regardless of who owns or operates the autonomous vehicle, routine maintenance will still be required. Someone still has to rotate the tires, check the seatbelts, charge the vehicles and ensure that they are always clean. Flexdrive can handle all of that and more for fleets.

Flexdrive can do this because they are vertically integrated into Lyft’s operations, enabling autonomous vehicles maintained by Flexdrive to be seamlessly deployed on the Lyft network. By utilizing Flexdrive for fleet management and deploying autonomous vehicles on the Lyft network, asset owners no longer have to deal with the complexity of coordinating with multiple vendors. Operations are now streamlined, increasing asset utilization up-time and profitability. 

In the near future, when “Lyft-Ready” autonomous vehicles roll off the production line and onto the roads, individuals will be able to form LLCs and buy “Lyft-Ready” autonomous vehicles, while becoming asset owners themselves.

Over time, these assets can become cash-flow positive, enabling economic empowerment. Once the cash-flow metrics are achieved, owners can either choose to reinvest and grow their fleet or simply enjoy the passive income.

When we reach this point in history, Lyft will have achieved market fragmentation. Soon, the days of Lyft having to rely on a handful of autonomous vehicle providers will be a relic of the past. 

When this happens, Lyft will be supported by thousands, potentially hundreds of thousands of independent autonomous vehicle providers. Gone are the days of a single point of failure. When this happens, the Lyft network model will be validated.

If you are interested in learning more about Lyft's autonomous vehicle strategy, we would recommend the following podcast:

• Lyft’s Autonomous Vehicle Strategy: How Hybrid Networks, Partnerships & Fleets Will Change Rideshare, A Conversation with Jeremy Bird, EVP, Driver Experience, Lyft (April 1, 2025)

Our take: Could owning a personally-owned autonomous vehicle and putting it on the Lyft network be the rideshare driver of the future?

Lyft is currently ranked #2 with a positive outlook on the AUTONOMY LEADERBOARD in the software platforms category.

Companies Mentioned: $LYFT ( ▲ 0.09% ) 

PIQUING OUR INTEREST

20% of All Uber Rides in Austin are Waymo? That is what YipitData is reporting, but we have not received confirmation from either Uber or Waymo confirming the data report. We remain skeptical at this time.

Google Integrates Waymo into Google Maps Riders in Phoenix, San Francisco and LA can now order a Waymo directly inside of Google Maps.

From the Delivery Room to a Waymo A couple in San Francisco brought their newborn child home from the hospital in a Waymo because they didn’t trust an Uber or Lyft driver.

Waymo Tests Zeekr RT Robotaxis in LA Waymo is now testing their Chinese-made Zeekr robotaxis in LA.

Zoox To Begin Mapping LA Zoox is packing their bags and heading to Hollywood. Later this year, Zoox will begin mapping LA in preparation for testing their autonomous Toyota Highlanders, not the custom Zoox vehicle in the City of Angels.

Nevada Aims To Destroy The State’s Emerging Autonomy Economy Nevada legislators have introduced Senate Bill 395 which would effectively ban autonomous trucking in the state. SB 395 is an example of legislators putting the interest of self-interests above those of the constituents and the state’s economy.

📰 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 | LICENSING

Nuro Raises $106m Series E Round

On April 9, Nuro announced that they successfully raised a $106 million Series E round, valuing the company at $6 billion.

Our take: In a volatile market with a lot of uncertainty, Nuro’s capital raise is a bullish signal for both autonomy and Nuro’s pivot to a licensing model.

Nuro is currently ranked #1 with a positive outlook on the AUTONOMY LEADERBOARD in the licensing category.

SOCIAL BUZZ | AUTONOMOUS VEHICLES

Waymo To Begin Mapping Tokyo

Waymo will soon begin mapping the streets of Tokyo with 25 vehicles as they prepare to launch commercial service in the Land of the Rising Sun. In our view, Tokyo will be the first of many Japanese cities where Waymo eventually deploys its commercial robotaxi service.

Our take: First Tokyo, next Kyoto?

Companies Mentioned: $GOOGL ( ▼ 1.74% ) 

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

THE ROAD TO AUTONOMY PODCAST

Whiplash in Detroit: From Electric Dreams to Autonomy Uncertainty

(April 8, 2025) Pete Bigelow, Senior Reporter, Automotive News joined Grayson Brulte on The Road to Autonomy podcast to discuss how Detroit is handing tariffs, the slow adoption of electric vehicles and consumers increasing interest in autonomous vehicles.

Watch on YouTube | Spotify | X

Companies Mentioned: $GM ( ▼ 1.33% ), $F ( ▼ 2.68% ), $STLA ( ▼ 0.11% ) , $TSLA ( ▲ 0.7% )

AUTONOMY MARKETS PODCAST

Wayve Wins, Nuro Reloads, Austin Doesn't Guarantee Uber-Waymo’s Next Chapter

(April 12, 2025) This week on Autonomy Markets, Grayson Brulte and Walter Piecyk discuss Wayve’s OEM partnership with Nissan, Nuro’s Series E capital raise and why the Uber/Waymo partnership in Austin does not guarantee future deployments.

Watch on YouTube | Spotify | X

Companies Mentioned: $UBER ( ▲ 1.26% ), $GOOGL ( ▼ 1.74% ), $NSANY ( ▲ 0.45% ), $TSLA ( ▲ 0.7% ), $AMZN ( ▼ 1.39% )