As autonomous driving technology moves steadily toward commercialization, Alphabet’s self-driving unit Waymo has taken another critical step forward. According to a recent announcement, Waymo has received approval from the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) to expand its robotaxi operations across a broader area of the San Francisco Peninsula, extending further south to include the tech hub of San Jose. This decision reflects the California government’s growing confidence in the safety and market potential of autonomous services, and it further consolidates Waymo’s dominant position in the U.S. robotaxi landscape.

On 30th April, Toyota and Waymo officially announced that they have reached a preliminary agreement to collaborate on accelerating the development and application of autonomous driving technologies. The partnership will also include Woven by Toyota, the automaker’s strategic subsidiary, to further integrate advanced software development and mobility innovation resources—demonstrating a strong commitment by both industry giants to advancing the future of self-driving mobility.

Nissan recently announced that it will introduce a next-generation ProPILOT system starting from fiscal year 2027. In today's rapidly evolving landscape of autonomous driving technologies, this move has sent shockwaves throughout the automotive world. This upgrade is not just about enhancing sensors or hardware—it marks a fundamental shift from “rule-based” to “learning-based” technology, deeply integrating artificial intelligence into vehicle decision-making systems. The new system combines Nissan’s in-house Ground Truth Perception technology with AI Driver software developed by British startup Wayve, aiming to bring human-like intuition and responsiveness to autonomous driving.

American EV startup Rivian recently announced that it will launch a hands-off highway driving assistance system in the coming weeks and plans to introduce an eyes-off version in 2026, allowing drivers to completely take their eyes off the road under certain conditions. With this development, Rivian is officially entering the competitive arena of the top-tier U.S. autonomous driving market, challenging industry leaders such as Ford (BlueCruise), GM (SuperCruise), and Tesla (Full Self-Driving).

Driver assistance technology has become a crucial competitive selling point in China's electric vehicle market in recent years. Domestic companies have been actively investing in this technology, with notable examples including Huawei’s ADS, Xpeng’s XPILOT, NIO’s NIO Pilot, BYD’s DiPilot, and Li Auto’s Li AD. Among them, Xpeng took a significant step by launching advanced urban road-assisted driving functions in Shanghai and Beijing in March 2023. Facing such competition, Tesla is expected to introduce Full Self-Driving (FSD) in China as early as this year to challenge these rising automakers.

In 2025, competition in autonomous driving technology is heating up. While many key industry players' investments have yet to fully materialize into commercial operations, McKinsey estimates that the autonomous driving market could reach a staggering $400 billion by 2035. However, significant challenges and obstacles must be overcome to achieve such substantial profits.

The R&D of autonomous driving technology has been at rock bottom worldwide in the past few years; except for the U.S. and China, all crucial auto countries such as Germany, Japan and Korea have been left behind in the race. The source of autonomous driving technology is big data, and it plays a significant part in how the two great powers, the U.S. and China, have managed to generate and maintain momentum for R&D. A wave of elimination will be inevitable in the next three years, but automakers that pull through and create a small-scale profit model will likely see a bumper crop in 2030!