Alphabet's autonomous vehicle unit, Waymo, is making significant strides in the robotaxi industry, as highlighted during the CES 2025 keynote by co-CEO Tekedra Mawakana. Waymo has achieved a milestone of 150,000 paid trips per week and completed over 4 million rides in 2024, positioning itself ahead of competitors like Tesla, Mobileye, and Amazon's Zoox. The company has also expanded its service area and is planning further commercialization efforts, including partnerships with Uber to launch operations in new cities such as Austin, Atlanta, and Miami. Mawakana emphasized Waymo's focus on integrating AI advancements to enhance its autonomous systems, setting a robust foundation for future growth.
Waymo's safety record is a key differentiator, with the company reporting significantly fewer crashes compared to human-driven trips. The potential establishment of a federal regulatory framework for autonomous vehicles under the new administration could further bolster Waymo's expansion efforts. Mawakana expressed optimism about the government's support for AV deployment, which could facilitate Waymo's plans to test and launch services across various cities in the US and internationally.
Alphabet's stock, however, saw a slight decline, closing at $192.04, down 0.98% from the previous close of $193.95 on January 9th.