Tesla and Waymo duel in the robotaxi race - but the company spending the most builds no cars at all

Tesla’s robotaxi race with Waymo is being put under a new kind of financial pressure, as spending on robotaxi programs rises while near-term vehicle deployments remain limited. The article says Uber has been making $500 million checks to secure robotaxi commitments, while Waymo’s position is portrayed as challenging Tesla’s autonomous effort. Tesla investors, meanwhile, are paying for a robotaxi fleet of just 20 cars, with robotaxi activity estimated at about 20 driverless Model Y units in Austin, Dallas, and Houston this spring. The promised Cybercab is still in development, with Elon Musk stating production began at Giga Texas in April but volumes are not expected until late in the year. Musk also cautioned material Cybercab revenue is unlikely before 2027. The competitive context includes Alphabet and prior autonomy investment cycles, but now progress is tied to contracts and milestones rather than projections.