With more theater than technology, Elon Musk and Tesla finally announced their plans for a robo-taxi service rollout in California and Texas next year. The jury is still out on whether Tesla can actually deliver as promised, but a number of other companies are already doing this. In San Francisco and Phoenix, Alphabet’s autonomous taxi company Waymo has been operating commercially since 2021. GM and Uber just announced that Cruise self-driving taxis will be part of the Uber platform from 2025 in select cities.
For Elon Musk and other robotaxi tech leaders, these innovations offer more than the latest driverless technology. They promise a revolution in how we move about our cities and communities—an era of accessible and safe ride-hailing convenience. In other words, they promise a better commuter experience.
