Manufacturing Technology
Waymo, Tesla, BMW & BYD Make Moves Amid Safety Regulator's Call For Oversight
Updated on Wed, Jul 16, 2025
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Would you be surprised or scared to see a driverless car on the road?
Maybe a few years ago, you would have slammed the brakes seeing a car without a human driver. Let alone self-driving cars, back then even electric vehicles (EVs) were niche and barely made it a few 100 kilometers before begging for a charger.
However, things have changed now. Today, autonomous vehicles are not just available—they’re moving quicker than ever. Cars can drive themselves for millions of miles, EVs are setting new sales records, and vehicles talk to your smartphone.
With autonomous mobility and EV leaders Waymo and Tesla expanding across the globe, Chinese brand Momenta partnering with BMW and BYD rolling out next-gen car connectivity features, it’s no wonder global EV sales have surged. On the other hand, U.S. regulators are calling for tighter oversight on autonomous vehicles.
So, let’s break down these shifts and what they mean for the autonomous mobility industry!
Alphabet’s Waymo has now driven over 100 million miles without a human driver, doubling its driving distance in just six months by expanding across major U.S. cities.
The autonomous vehicle (AV) robotaxi fleet now operates in San Francisco, LA, Phoenix, Austin, and Atlanta, with expansion plans for Washington, D.C. and permit applications for New York underway.
The company has completed over 10 million autonomous trips and now logs 2 million miles per week, solidifying its lead in real-world AV deployment.
Rival Tesla has expanded its pilot robotaxi service in Austin, Texas with a dozen Model Y SUVs, amid plans to scale to multiple U.S. cities by end-2025. Amazon’s autonomous vehicle startup Zoox is also in the race, with commercial plans for a robotaxi service in Las Vegas.
“Reaching 100 million fully autonomous miles represents years of methodical progress now accelerating into rapid, responsible scaling,” said Saswat Panigrahi, Chief Product Officer of Waymo.
While Waymo builds momentum in the U.S., Tesla is taking a bold leap into an emerging self-driving market—India.
Tesla launched its Model Y SUV in India at a starting price of ₹6 million (~$70,000), significantly more than the model’s U.S. pricing, due to high import duties.
The long-range variant is priced at ₹6.8 million (~$80,000), targeting India’s luxury EV segment, which makes up just 4% of overall car sales.
Tesla marked its India operations with its first-ever showroom in Mumbai, revealing plans to set up Supercharger networks in Mumbai and Delhi. Although the launch models were imported from China, whether Tesla will agree to local production or R&D setups is still unknown.
“We are here to create the ecosystem,” said Tesla’s regional director, Isabel Fan. “It will take time to cover the whole country,” aiming to compete with BMW, Mercedes-Benz, and Kia’s self-driving offerings.
While Tesla tests the waters in a high-tariff market, BMW is doubling down on regional intelligence by tuning into China’s unique self-driving demands.
BMW announced a strategic partnership with Chinese autonomous driving firm Momenta to co-develop advanced driving assistance system (ADAS) tailored for the Chinese market.
The ADAS will support driving across highways and urban roads and will be deployed across multiple future BMW models. BMW emphasized the need for localized driving intelligence to meet China’s specific urban infrastructure and driver behavior patterns.
“This collaboration of partners sharing the same mindset, will enable us to offer our customers in China a very unique automated driving experience. We are combining 20+ years of pioneering safety with locally trained driving knowledge and state of the art Chinese AI technology,” said Dr. Mihiar Ayoubi, Senior Vice President of Driving Experience at BMW Group.
Meanwhile, another Chinese automotive giant is fine-tuning the ride experience with a new digital feature.
Chinese EV giant BYD launched a new smartphone-car integration feature across its entire vehicle lineup. The feature will be compatible with Huawei, Xiaomi, Oppo, Vivo, and other major smartphone brands to offer seamless device-to-car connectivity.
The move strengthens BYD’s focus on in-car tech ecosystems and user-centric digital experiences, aligning with its vision to enhance EV driving and ownership experiences. This move comes two months after it revealed its latest electric offering, the e7 all-electric sedan, leading the market with a 22% share of all EVs sold globally.
With automakers such as BYD pushing the boundaries of in-car experiences, consumers are responding, especially in EV-first markets.
According to Rho Motion, global EV and plug-in hybrid sales rose 24% in June 2025 over last year, totaling 1.8 million vehicles sold.
China led the surge with a 28% jump (1.11 million units), while Europe followed at 23% growth (~390,000 units). Unsurprisingly, North America saw a 9% drop, with U.S. sales down by 1% due to the removal of EV tax credits and the rise of import tariffs.
However, EV sales in emerging markets rose 43%, overtaking North America for the first time. Analysts now expect European incentives and affordability to keep the momentum high across new markets, although North American sales will likely remain muted.
With the pace of innovation in AVs and EVs accelerating, oversight is following close behind—especially in the U.S.
Jonathan Morrison, President Trump’s nominee for head of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), testified that regulators must “not wait for problems” in AV technology.
The statement hints at a more proactive approach to safety and regulation, following growing concerns over the recent Tesla and Waymo self-driving crashes and failed tests.
NHTSA is currently investigating 2.4 million Tesla vehicles and is reviewing multiple collision reports and traffic violations related to AVs. For instance, in May, Waymo recalled 1,200 robotaxis amid concerns of minor traffic rule breaches.
Morrison stated, “Failure to address these challenges will result in products the public will not accept—and the agency will not tolerate.”
So, as leaders like Waymo, Tesla, BMW, and BYD expand their offerings and deploy new features, the call for regulatory oversight grows louder.
Do you think stricter oversight will slow down the AV race? Will it help the U.S. take on China's emerging self-driving startups?
Let us know in the comments below!
Maybe a few years ago, you would have slammed the brakes seeing a car without a human driver. Let alone self-driving cars, back then even electric vehicles (EVs) were niche and barely made it a few 100 kilometers before begging for a charger.
However, things have changed now. Today, autonomous vehicles are not just available—they’re moving quicker than ever. Cars can drive themselves for millions of miles, EVs are setting new sales records, and vehicles talk to your smartphone.
With autonomous mobility and EV leaders Waymo and Tesla expanding across the globe, Chinese brand Momenta partnering with BMW and BYD rolling out next-gen car connectivity features, it’s no wonder global EV sales have surged. On the other hand, U.S. regulators are calling for tighter oversight on autonomous vehicles.
So, let’s break down these shifts and what they mean for the autonomous mobility industry!
Waymo Hits 100 Million Driverless Miles As Tesla Expands Robotaxi Trials
Alphabet’s Waymo has now driven over 100 million miles without a human driver, doubling its driving distance in just six months by expanding across major U.S. cities.
The autonomous vehicle (AV) robotaxi fleet now operates in San Francisco, LA, Phoenix, Austin, and Atlanta, with expansion plans for Washington, D.C. and permit applications for New York underway.
The company has completed over 10 million autonomous trips and now logs 2 million miles per week, solidifying its lead in real-world AV deployment.
Rival Tesla has expanded its pilot robotaxi service in Austin, Texas with a dozen Model Y SUVs, amid plans to scale to multiple U.S. cities by end-2025. Amazon’s autonomous vehicle startup Zoox is also in the race, with commercial plans for a robotaxi service in Las Vegas.
“Reaching 100 million fully autonomous miles represents years of methodical progress now accelerating into rapid, responsible scaling,” said Saswat Panigrahi, Chief Product Officer of Waymo.
While Waymo builds momentum in the U.S., Tesla is taking a bold leap into an emerging self-driving market—India.
Tesla Enters India With $70,000 Model Y
Tesla launched its Model Y SUV in India at a starting price of ₹6 million (~$70,000), significantly more than the model’s U.S. pricing, due to high import duties.
The long-range variant is priced at ₹6.8 million (~$80,000), targeting India’s luxury EV segment, which makes up just 4% of overall car sales.
Tesla marked its India operations with its first-ever showroom in Mumbai, revealing plans to set up Supercharger networks in Mumbai and Delhi. Although the launch models were imported from China, whether Tesla will agree to local production or R&D setups is still unknown.
“We are here to create the ecosystem,” said Tesla’s regional director, Isabel Fan. “It will take time to cover the whole country,” aiming to compete with BMW, Mercedes-Benz, and Kia’s self-driving offerings.
While Tesla tests the waters in a high-tariff market, BMW is doubling down on regional intelligence by tuning into China’s unique self-driving demands.
BMW Joins Hands With Momenta To Develop China-Specific ADAS
BMW announced a strategic partnership with Chinese autonomous driving firm Momenta to co-develop advanced driving assistance system (ADAS) tailored for the Chinese market.
The ADAS will support driving across highways and urban roads and will be deployed across multiple future BMW models. BMW emphasized the need for localized driving intelligence to meet China’s specific urban infrastructure and driver behavior patterns.
“This collaboration of partners sharing the same mindset, will enable us to offer our customers in China a very unique automated driving experience. We are combining 20+ years of pioneering safety with locally trained driving knowledge and state of the art Chinese AI technology,” said Dr. Mihiar Ayoubi, Senior Vice President of Driving Experience at BMW Group.
Meanwhile, another Chinese automotive giant is fine-tuning the ride experience with a new digital feature.
BYD Rolls Out Smartphone-Car Connectivity Across Fleet
Chinese EV giant BYD launched a new smartphone-car integration feature across its entire vehicle lineup. The feature will be compatible with Huawei, Xiaomi, Oppo, Vivo, and other major smartphone brands to offer seamless device-to-car connectivity.
The move strengthens BYD’s focus on in-car tech ecosystems and user-centric digital experiences, aligning with its vision to enhance EV driving and ownership experiences. This move comes two months after it revealed its latest electric offering, the e7 all-electric sedan, leading the market with a 22% share of all EVs sold globally.
With automakers such as BYD pushing the boundaries of in-car experiences, consumers are responding, especially in EV-first markets.
Global EV Sales Surge 24% In June, But North America Falls Behind
According to Rho Motion, global EV and plug-in hybrid sales rose 24% in June 2025 over last year, totaling 1.8 million vehicles sold.
China led the surge with a 28% jump (1.11 million units), while Europe followed at 23% growth (~390,000 units). Unsurprisingly, North America saw a 9% drop, with U.S. sales down by 1% due to the removal of EV tax credits and the rise of import tariffs.
However, EV sales in emerging markets rose 43%, overtaking North America for the first time. Analysts now expect European incentives and affordability to keep the momentum high across new markets, although North American sales will likely remain muted.
With the pace of innovation in AVs and EVs accelerating, oversight is following close behind—especially in the U.S.
US Regulator Nominee Pushes For Active Oversight On Autonomous Vehicles
Jonathan Morrison, President Trump’s nominee for head of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), testified that regulators must “not wait for problems” in AV technology.
The statement hints at a more proactive approach to safety and regulation, following growing concerns over the recent Tesla and Waymo self-driving crashes and failed tests.
NHTSA is currently investigating 2.4 million Tesla vehicles and is reviewing multiple collision reports and traffic violations related to AVs. For instance, in May, Waymo recalled 1,200 robotaxis amid concerns of minor traffic rule breaches.
Morrison stated, “Failure to address these challenges will result in products the public will not accept—and the agency will not tolerate.”
So, as leaders like Waymo, Tesla, BMW, and BYD expand their offerings and deploy new features, the call for regulatory oversight grows louder.
Do you think stricter oversight will slow down the AV race? Will it help the U.S. take on China's emerging self-driving startups?
Let us know in the comments below!
First published on Wed, Jul 16, 2025
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