Tech companies that develop self-driving vehicle technology have broken down the brakes on tests on the public roads in California, so New data From the state department of Motor Vehicles.
The agency reported on Friday in 2024, a total of 4.5 million autonomous vehicle test miles, a 50% decline compared to the previous year. This figure comprises two types of permits: autonomous vehicles with drivers of human security at the wheel and those that enable driverless tests.
According to the DMV, the decline in the driverless test category is more pronounced according to the DMV, the agency, which regulates autonomous vehicle tests in the state. The records show that driverless tests of 3.26 million miles in 2023 fell by 83% to only 552,895 miles last year.
The DMV also published its Annual discharge reportsIn which cases in which human drivers had to take control due to technological failures or security concerns. These reports have been controversial in the past because companies apply different standards, which makes it impossible to compare the results or to evaluate the knowledge of the technology of autonomous vehicles.
The new numbers reflect an industry with few players, Waymo’s change to the commercial robotaxi operator and the suspensionAnd ultimate shotteringthe cruise by the parent company GM.
Cruise and Waymo have reported the highest test miles in the past. For example, Cruise registered 2.6 million test miles in 2023 until the DMV suspended its permits in October this year. The company has never restarted tests in California. Waymo turned away from the test, while it rises commercial operation in San Francisco and in the hand Los Angeles.
In the past three years there has been a noticeable decline in the new permits granted by the DMV for testing vehicles with a human driver in the past three years. Four permits were issued in 2022. The following year two new permits were granted. The DMV only gave a new permit in 2024.
Today, only 31 companies for testing with a security driver and of them only 11 actually carried out public road tests in 2024. Nine companies that submitted reports for the period from 2023-2024 have stopped testing and withdrawn from the program. The DMV. According to the report, Tesla has not recorded any autonomous miles.
Six companies, including Autox, Nuro, Weride, Waymo and Zoox, are approved for driverless tests. Only Mercedes-Benz (with an advanced driver aid system that allows it Hands -free drive On some highways) Nuro and Waymo have permits that enable commercial operations.
In contrast to the intoxicating and handled days of autonomous vehicles, this is in contrast to venture funds and up to 60 companies test the so-called “drivers” autonomous vehicles. A consolidation phase swept through the aspiring industry in 2019.
Today, fewer companies are willing to pour millions into the development of autonomous vehicle technology. Although there are some youngest outliers. Away collected $ 1 billion In May and Waymo Brought in 5.6 billion US dollars In November.
The result is a short list of active participants – with Waymo before testing and commercial miles. The upshot is a consolidated industry that has no competition on the commercial front.
