Waymo, the self-driving unit from Google parent company Alphabet, is set to expand its autonomous vehicle testing to include select freeways in Arizona.
In a press release on Monday, Waymo announced the plans to begin testing its rider-only ride-hailing trips on freeways across Phoenix, in a phased approach that will start with trips for employees. While the release didn’t state a specific date that these tests will begin, the company says it has been incrementally ramping up its driver-monitored testing on freeways over the last year.
“Waymo will begin testing its fully autonomous passenger cars without a human driver on freeways in Phoenix to soon help Waymo One riders get where they’re going safely and efficiently,” writes the company in the release.
Waymo says that it also has years of testing experience with rider-only vehicle fleets, set to help inform its safety approach to the expansion. In addition, Waymo shared a video of its self-driving system navigating freeways for both a passenger vehicle and a class 8 truck, both of which the company says it has millions of miles of experience testing with a specialist present.
You can see footage from the Waymo video below, in which the system is navigating both a passenger vehicle and a class 8 truck.
Waymo also notes the significant time savings that expanding to freeway routes will offer. This is evidenced in side-by-side images shared in the release of a drive from the Sky Harbor International Airport to Northern Scottsdale, with and without freeways, the former of which cuts the driving time in half.
Credit: Waymo
The autonomous ride-hailing company also says it plans to work closely with public safety officials on best practices, along with teaching them about Waymo’s technology. Waymo also detailed its safety approach in a 2020 blog post, which can be found here.
On its website, the Arizona Department of Transportation (ADOT) outlines the state’s autonomous driving program and lists companies that have submitted to test and operate autonomous vehicles in the state, including Waymo.
“Public safety is our highest priority, and we are in regular communication with and closely monitoring autonomous vehicle companies testing and operating self-driving vehicles in Arizona,” wrote Bill Lamoreaux, ADOT Motor Vehicle Department Assistant Comms Director, in an email to Teslarati.
Lamoreaux also noted that Waymo and other companies must follow all federal traffic laws, regulations and guidelines, as well as Title 28 of the Arizona Revised Statutes and all regulations and policies set forth by ADOT.
Operations from Waymo and other autonomous ride-hailing companies such as Cruise have been scrutinized by regulators in the past. Although Cruise’s state permit to operate driverless vehicles was revoked in California following an accident with a pedestrian, Waymo is still approved to test its vehicles in San Francisco.
Despite the potential safety risks presented by self-driving vehicles, the systems are also expected to improve as they are tested more and more, with the ultimate goal of helping them someday become safer than human drivers.
Tesla is another company testing an early, semi-autonomous driving system with its Full Self-Driving (FSD) beta, which can be operated by users who purchase the add-on. Although Tesla’s FSD beta model doesn’t include ride-hailing, nor does it include fully driverless operations, the company has long touted a future of “robotaxis,” and highway testing has been available on the beta software for years.
Updated 2:44 p.m. MT: Added response from the Arizona Department of Transportation.
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Elon Musk
Elon Musk pivots SpaceX plans to Moon base before Mars
The shift, Musk explained, is driven by launch cadence and the urgency of securing humanity’s long-term survival beyond Earth, among others.
Elon Musk has clarified that SpaceX is prioritizing the Moon over Mars as the fastest path to establishing a self-growing off-world civilization.
The shift, Musk explained, is driven by launch cadence and the urgency of securing humanity’s long-term survival beyond Earth, among others.
Why the Moon is now SpaceX’s priority
In a series of posts on X, Elon Musk stated that SpaceX is focusing on building a self-growing city on the Moon because it can be achieved significantly faster than a comparable settlement on Mars. As per Musk, a Moon city could possibly be completed in under 10 years, while a similar settlement on Mars would likely require more than 20.
“For those unaware, SpaceX has already shifted focus to building a self-growing city on the Moon, as we can potentially achieve that in less than 10 years, whereas Mars would take 20+ years. The mission of SpaceX remains the same: extend consciousness and life as we know it to the stars,” Musk wrote in a post on X.
Musk highlighted that launch windows to Mars only open roughly every 26 months, with a six-month transit time, whereas missions to the Moon can launch approximately every 10 days and arrive in about two days. That difference, Musk stated, allows SpaceX to iterate far more rapidly on infrastructure, logistics, and survival systems.
“The critical path to a self-growing Moon city is faster,” Musk noted in a follow-up post.
Mars still matters, but runs in parallel
Despite the pivot to the Moon, Musk stressed that SpaceX has not abandoned Mars. Instead, Mars development is expected to begin in about five to seven years and proceed alongside the company’s lunar efforts.
Musk explained that SpaceX would continue launching directly from Earth to Mars when possible, rather than routing missions through the Moon, citing limited fuel availability on the lunar surface. The Moon’s role, he stated, is not as a staging point for Mars, but as the fastest achievable location for a self-sustaining off-world civilization.
“The Moon would establish a foothold beyond Earth quickly, to protect life against risk of a natural or manmade disaster on Earth,” Musk wrote.
News
Elon Musk confirms Tesla Semi will enter high-volume production this year
Musk shared his update in a post on social media platform X.
Elon Musk has confirmed that Tesla will begin high-volume production of the Class 8 all-electric Semi this year.
He shared his update in a post on social media platform X.
Musk confirms Tesla Semi production ramp
Tesla CEO Elon Musk reaffirmed on X that the Semi is finally moving into volume production, posting on Sunday that “Tesla Semi starts high volume production this year.”
The update comes as Tesla refreshed its Semi lineup on its official website, an apparent hint that the program is transitioning from limited pilots into wider commercial deployment. As per Tesla’s official website, two variants of the Semi will be offered to consumers: Standard and Long Range.
The Standard trim offers up to 325 miles of range with an energy consumption rating of 1.7 kWh per mile and a gross combination weight rating of 82,000 pounds. The Long Range version pushes driving range to 500 miles, with Tesla noting a higher curb weight of about 23,000 pounds, likely due to a larger battery pack.
Both trims support fast charging, with Tesla stating that the Semi can recover up to 60% of its range in 30 minutes using compatible charging infrastructure.
Broader Tesla Semi rollout
Tesla has already delivered production Semi units to select partners, including snack and beverage giant PepsiCo as well as logistics behemoth DHL, which confirmed that its truck operates daily in California, traveling roughly 100 miles per day and requiring charging just about once a week.
The company has also partnered with Uber Freight, as noted in a Benzinga report, with Tesla executives previously describing the agreement as a way for fleet operators to experience the Semi’s lower operating and maintenance costs firsthand.
With Musk now publicly committing to high-volume production, the Semi appears poised to move beyond pilot programs and into scaled commercial use, an important step in Tesla’s wider push to electrify heavy-duty and long-range trucking.
News
Tesla tops France reliability rankings, beating Toyota for the first time
The milestone was celebrated by CEO Elon Musk on social media platform X.
Tesla has overtaken Toyota to become France’s most reliable car brand in 2025, as per a new nationwide reliability ranking published by Auto Plus magazine.
The milestone was celebrated by CEO Elon Musk on social media platform X.
Tesla tops reliability ranking in France
Tesla ranked first overall in Auto Plus’ 2025 reliability study, surpassing long-time benchmark Toyota across all powertrain types, including gasoline, hybrid, and electric vehicles.
The ranking, published on February 6, 2026, evaluated early problems reported in 2025 on vehicles registered in France since January 1, 2018, with fewer than 150,000 kilometers on the odometer, as noted by a Numerama report. This marked Tesla’s first appearance in the magazine’s reliability rankings, which was enabled by the company’s growing vehicle population in the French market.
According to the publication, Tesla vehicles showed no recurring major defects beyond isolated suspension arm issues, which are covered under the company’s four-year or 80,000-kilometer warranty. Other reported issues were described as minor, including occasional screen glitches and door handle concerns.
Why this ranking differs from earlier criticism
Tesla’s top placement contrasts sharply with past assessments from the German Automobile Club (ADAC), which previously ranked the Model 3 and Model Y low in its technical inspection reports. Auto Plus noted that those inspections were focused heavily on factors such as brake disc wear, which are not necessarily the best benchmarks for overall vehicle reliability.
By focusing instead on real-world reliability data and early ownership issues, Auto Plus’ methodology offered a broader picture of how vehicles perform over time rather than how individual components age under inspection standards. The publication emphasized that electric vehicles, with far fewer moving parts than combustion-engine cars, are not inherently less reliable.
While the ranking supports the case that electric vehicles can match or exceed the reliability of traditional brands, the magazine acknowledged limitations in its analysis. Still, Tesla’s debut at the top of the list underscores how perceptions of EV durability are shifting as more long-term data becomes available in major automotive markets like France.
Elon Musk pivots SpaceX plans to Moon base before Mars
Elon Musk confirms Tesla Semi will enter high-volume production this year
