A new benchmarking system from advisory firm Autnmy AI is providing a real-time scorecard for the global autonomous vehicle industry. The Road to Autonomy Index, which launched this week, ranks robotaxi companies using data from federal reports, SEC documents, public exchanges, and other databases. As of Friday, China’s Baidu Apollo Go held the top spot, narrowly edging out Waymo. Pony.ai, WeRide, and Tesla completed the top five.
How the Index Works
Autnmy AI co-founder Rob Grant said the platform does not scrape data from the internet. Instead, it uses publicly available information, Creative Commons licensed data, and licensed datasets. The system weighs company operations, scale, revenue, commercial partnerships, manufacturing, and safety records. The result is a ranking that updates every 12 hours, covering robotaxis, autonomous driving licensing companies, autonomous trucks, and delivery bots.
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The index takes a global approach, which revealed China’s strength across multiple categories. Grant said this was one of the initial takeaways that made an impression on him.
Texas Fleet Registrations Show Growth
Texas launched an automated vehicle tracker tool in May, and recent data shows Tesla, Waymo, and Zoox are expanding their fleets in the state. Waymo had 620 autonomous vehicles registered as of late May, up 7.5% from 577 earlier in the month. Tesla increased its registered fleet from 42 to 69, a 64% jump. Zoox grew from 35 to 43 vehicles. Avride, Nuro, and Volkswagen subsidiary MOIA held steady at 317, 47, and 12 vehicles, respectively.
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Keep in mind that registration does not always mean commercial use. Zoox, for example, cannot charge customers until it receives a federal exemption.
Industry Deals and Partnerships
Several notable deals were announced this week. Gatik, a self-driving truck startup, expanded its multi-year partnership with PepsiCo, which is already using Gatik’s driverless trucks in Arkansas, Arizona, and Texas. Stellantis, self-driving startup Wayve, and Uber struck a deal to jointly develop and deploy driverless robotaxis. QuantumScape announced a joint research agreement with Honda R&D Co. to accelerate solid-state battery development.
In funding news, XDOF, a startup focused on robot training data, raised $70 million from Thrive Capital, Spark Capital, a16z, Lux, and WndrCo. Cargofy, a logistics AI company, raised $11 million in Series A funding.
Incidents and Recalls
A video posted on Reddit showed a driver running a stop sign and hitting an Avride robotaxi in Dallas. TechCrunch confirmed the vehicle was an Avride robotaxi hailed via the Uber app. No injuries were reported. Avride said data from the incident is being reviewed to refine its technology.
Waymo recalled nearly 4,000 robotaxis after identifying 13 instances where they drove into highway construction zones. The software fix is still under development.
Mobileye Shifts Strategy
Mobileye, which has long pitched itself as an autonomous vehicle technology supplier, is now planning to become a robotaxi operator. The company aims to launch a robotaxi service in an unnamed U.S. city in 2027. Founder and CEO Amnon Shashua told TechCrunch in 2020 that robotaxis were necessary to crack passenger car autonomy.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Autnmy AI Road to Autonomy Index?
It is a generative AI platform that evaluates and ranks autonomous vehicle companies using public data from federal reports, SEC documents, and other databases. It updates every 12 hours.
Why does China rank higher than the US in robotaxis?
The index measures operations, scale, revenue, partnerships, manufacturing, and safety records. Chinese companies like Baidu, Pony.ai, and WeRide have strong deployment and commercial partnerships, giving them a higher composite score.
How many autonomous vehicles does Waymo have registered in Texas?
As of late May 2025, Waymo had 620 autonomous vehicles registered in Texas, a 7.5% increase from 577 earlier in the month.
Can Zoox charge customers for robotaxi rides?
No. Zoox cannot operate commercially until it receives an exemption from the federal government. It can give rides but not charge customers.
What happened with the Waymo robotaxi recall?
Waymo recalled nearly 4,000 robotaxis after identifying 13 instances where they drove into highway construction zones. The software fix is still under development.
