Waymo keeps unspooling its map: state regulators cleared the company to run driverless cars on Sacramento streets, even as officials there weigh the safety implications, while across the Atlantic Waymo announced it will start mapping and test-driving Munich, aiming for a commercial robotaxi launch by the end of 2027. The German expansion marks Waymo's first venture outside the U.S., a sign the company sees its geofenced, sensor-heavy approach as exportable.
Even as Waymo and its rivals expand, the ground beneath them is getting rockier. The Verge documents mounting regulatory friction and public skepticism toward robotaxis in cities where they now roam, while a San Francisco Standard opinion piece frames Tesla and Waymo as America's last real shot at not ceding the autonomous-vehicle race to Chinese automakers. Together the pieces capture a company caught between domestic backlash and a geopolitical narrative that casts it as a national champion.