TechCrunch Mobility: AV companies pick their lanes

Autonomous vehicle companies are shifting from testing to commercial scale, and the latest strategy is increasingly partnership-driven, according to this TechCrunch Mobility roundup. Wayve, for example, struck a commercial deal with Mercedes-Benz to integrate its automated driving technology into at least one model planned for deployment within two years. The product is described as Level 2, requiring human drivers to stay engaged, but the partnership can also help Wayve’s path toward fully driverless operations. The note contrasts this with Waymo’s robotaxi rollout, citing vehicle registration data suggesting about 80% of its roughly 4,000 robotaxis are currently in California and Texas, with Texas growth up more than 49% in three weeks. It also highlights Aurora’s goal to reach more than 200 driverless trucks by year-end and exceed 30,000 by 2030.