US robotaxi market shifts as Waymo, Uber split and brake‑pedal rule changes

The U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and the Department of Transportation have proposed eliminating the federal brake‑pedal requirement for Level 4 and 5 autonomous vehicles. The rule change would remove a barrier for fully driverless designs such as Tesla’s Cybercab, Waymo’s Ojai robotaxis and Zoox’s purpose‑built vans.

Tesla’s Full Self‑Driving (FSD) system is under renewed scrutiny after a fatal crash in Texas that killed a 76‑year‑old woman. Both the NHTSA and the NTSB opened investigations, and Tesla recently settled a separate 2023 fatal‑crash lawsuit tied to FSD.

Waymo is accelerating its robotaxi rollout, importing hundreds of Zeekr‑built Ojai vans to the United States and preparing a launch in Germany. The company’s fleet now exceeds 4,000 vehicles and operates in more than a dozen U.S. metros.

In Phoenix, Waymo and Uber formally ended their three‑year robotaxi partnership after completing hundreds of thousands of trips. Uber will seek a new autonomous‑vehicle partner for the city, while Waymo’s vehicles have been reintegrated into its own fleet for rides, public‑transit service with Via and deliveries for DoorDash.

The regulatory shift, ongoing safety investigations, and the split between two of the sector’s biggest players signal a rapid evolution of the U.S. robotaxi market.