Technology companies that develop self-driving technology have captured brakes in California public roads, according to new data from the State Motor Vehicle Department.
The agency reported on Friday a total of 4.5 million autonomous vehicles were recorded in 2024, a 50% decrease from a year earlier. This figure covers two types of permits: autonomous vehicles with human security drivers after the wheel and those that allow driverless testing.
The fall is more pronounced under the driverless test category, according to DMV, the agency that regulates autonomous vehicle testing in the state. Records show that driverless testing fell 83% from 3.26 million miles to 2023 to only 552,895 miles last year.
The DMV also issued its annual secession reports, which detail cases where human leaders had to take control due to technology failures or security concerns. These reports have been controversial in the past because companies use different standards, making it impossible to compare the results or evaluate the ability of autonomous vehicle technology.
The new figures reflect an industry with few players, the Waymo switch to the Robotaxi Commercial Operator, and the suspension, and the latest closure, of navigating its parent company GM.
Cruise and Waymo have historically reported the highest test miles. For example, the cruise recorded 2.6 million miles of test in 2023 until the DMV suspended its permits in October of that year. The company never rebuilds testing in California. Waymo has been removed from the test while enhancing trade operations in San Francisco and Los Angeles.
There has been a significant decline over the last three years in new DMV permits for vehicle testing with a human driver. In 2022, four permits were issued. The following year, two new permits were granted. DMV provided only one new permit in 2024.
Today, only 31 companies carry permission for testing with a security manager-and of them, only 11 have actually carried out the public road test in 2024. Nine companies that presented reports for the period 2023-2024 have ceased testing and withdrawal from the program , according to DMV. Tesla, for example, did not record any autonomous miles, according to the report.
Six companies, including Autox, Nuro, Weride, Waymo and Zoox are approved for driverless tests. Only Mercedes-Benz (which has an advanced driver assistance system that allows handsless, no eyes on some highways), Nuro and Waymo have permits that allow trading operations.
This is contrasting with the bright and fascinated days of autonomous vehicles when entering the enterprise funds and about 60 companies had permission to try the so -called “driver” autonomous vehicles. A consolidation period included the newborn industry in 2019.
Today, fewer companies are ready to pour millions in the development of autonomous vehicle technology. Although there are some last distances. Wayve collected $ 1 billion in May and Waymo raised $ 5.6 billion in November.
The result is a brief list of active participants – with Waymo forward, in terms of testing and commercial miles. Completion is a consolidated industry that lacks competition in the commercial front.
