Will robotaxis stage a comeback for shared mobility?

Among the most notable takeaways from Tesla’s Q1 2025 earnings call was Chief Executive Elon Musk’s assertion that “in the future, most people are not going to buy cars.” He added that phone manufacturers were previously too preoccupied iterating existing technology to anticipate the next market disruptor, the iPhone. Tesla positions the Cybercab—and by extension, robotaxis in general—as representing a similar inflection point for mobility.

The automaker plans to roll out the first phase of its robotaxi service in June, and competitors like Waymo and Mobileye are eyeing expansions of their own in 2025 and 2026. The US government is also changing how it regulates autonomous vehicle (AV) technology to boost domestic innovation and challenge China’s lead. After years of apparent stagnation, could robotaxis be about to kindle a new wave of industry enthusiasm for shared mobility?