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Waymo launches transit credit pilot in Los Angeles

Credit: Waymo

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Waymo has launched a transit credit pilot program in Los Angeles, following initial tests in San Francisco last year.

On Tuesday, Waymo announced in a press release that it is launching a two-month pilot program in the Southern California city, which will essentially pay $3.00 credits to riders who connect to seven eligible transit stations. The company, which is backed by Google’s parent company Alphabet, will run the program from February 4 through April 1, offering convenient routes to and from the Los Angeles International Airport (LAX).

In the announcement, the company says that credits will be added to rider accounts on the day following the ride, and they’ll then be usable for 60 days. Waymo also highlights the launch of the program arriving on Transit Equity Day, a holiday honoring civil rights hero Rosa Parks, whose birthday was on February 4.

The program will be used to study how Waymo One is used by riders as a first- and last-mile ride-hailing solution that it hopes to help integrate with public transportation options to make them more accessible. It says it also performed similar evaluations through its pilot program in San Francisco, which launched in October.

LA stations participating in the program are located at the following intersections/transit sites, as can also be seen on the map below:

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  • 5th and Arizona
  • Lincoln and Jefferson
  • Lincoln and Venice
  • Sepulveda and Exposition
  • Sepulveda and Washington
  • Union Station and FlyAway
  • UCLA Gateway

Credit: Waymo

READ MORE ON WAYMO: Waymo study analyzes collisions with vulnerable road users

Waymo, Tesla and commercial robotaxi services

Waymo One is the service and app the company uses for its driverless electric robotaxis, which currently offers paid rides to users in the Bay Area and around Los Angeles, as well as in Phoenix, Arizona and Austin, Texas. The company began paid LA rides in November, officially dropping the need for users to join a waitlist to ride.

In all of the aforementioned areas, users simply need to download the Waymo One app to hail a ride. The company has also announced plans to launch in Miami, Florida in the coming months.

Additionally, the firm says it’s operating 150,000 paid rides each week, resulting in a weekly reduction of over 220 tons of carbon emissions, and up from its 100,000 rides per week announced in August. In December, the company also announced plans to launch a pilot program in Japan, slated to begin this year.

Waymo is currently the only driverless ride-hailing company operating paid rides at such a large scale, with competitors like Amazon-owned Zoox rolling out initial services. Meanwhile, Tesla aims to begin offering unsupervised robotaxi services in June, following its unveiling of the steering wheel-less, two-seat Cybercab in October.

In addition to the Cybercab, which is expected to offer a similar paid ride-hailing service to Waymo One, Tesla currently sells its Supervised Full Self-Driving (FSD) software, which the autonomous vehicle will utilize, as either a monthly subscription or one-time purchase to owners.

Tesla also teased a ride-hailing app interface as early as last April in its Q1 earnings Shareholder Deck, showing off a user’s ability to summon rides, set temperature controls in the vehicle, and follow along with navigation. Such a service has also been promised to Tesla owners for several years, and it’s eventually expected to let them deploy their own personal vehicles to autonomously give rides and generate income when not in use.

What are your thoughts? Let me know at zach@teslarati.com, find me on X at @zacharyvisconti, or send us tips at tips@teslarati.com.

Waymo valued at over $45 billion following latest financing round: report

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Zach is a renewable energy reporter who has been covering electric vehicles since 2020. He grew up in Fremont, California, and he currently lives in Colorado. His work has appeared in the Chicago Tribune, KRON4 San Francisco, FOX31 Denver, InsideEVs, CleanTechnica, and many other publications. When he isn't covering Tesla or other EV companies, you can find him writing and performing music, drinking a good cup of coffee, or hanging out with his cats, Banks and Freddie. Reach out at zach@teslarati.com, find him on X at @zacharyvisconti, or send us tips at tips@teslarati.com.

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Investor's Corner

Tesla Q3 2025 earnings: What analysts expect

The automaker delivered a record 497,099 vehicles and logged its highest-ever energy storage sales in Q3 2025. 

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Credit: Tesla China

Tesla’s (NASDAQ:TSLA) Q3 2025 earnings, which would be released after markets close today, could prove to be a test of confidence for the company’s shareholders. 

The automaker delivered a record 497,099 vehicles and logged its highest-ever energy storage sales, but analysts noted that these gains might have come at a cost. 

Record vehicle deliveries

Tesla’s profit per share is expected to fall about 25% year over year to around $0.53–$0.55, even as revenue rises from 4% to 6%, as noted in a report from Market Pulse. Analysts noted that Tesla’s record quarter was partly fueled by buyers rushing to complete purchases before the U.S. federal EV tax credit expired in September, a surge that could dampen Q4 demand. The company also dipped into its inventory to reach the record delivery number.

Analysts expect automotive gross margin (excluding regulatory credits) to land between a conservative 16.5% and 17%. This suggests that a good portion of Tesla’s Q3 delivery growth came from aggressive price cuts. If margins fall below 16.5%, it could hint at more cost pressures that the company would have to handle in the coming months.

Tesla’s Energy segment, meanwhile, is expected to act as a stabilizer. The business deployed 12.5 GWh of storage in Q3, driven by strong demand from AI data centers. Analysts expect this high-margin division to partially cushion the hit from the automaker’s thinner car profits.

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AI, FSD, and Musk’s role

Tesla’s lofty valuation, trading about 17% above the average analyst consensus of $365, would likely depend heavily on investor belief in its AI and robotics initiatives. Industry watchers have stated that management must deliver credible updates on Full Self-Driving and the Robotaxi program to help justify the company’s current valuation.

Elon Musk’s proposed 2025 CEO Performance Award, which proxy advisors have urged shareholders to reject, would likely be discussed in the Q3 2025 earnings call has well. Musk has hinted that a failed vote could jeopardize Tesla’s AI strategy, making the company’s upcoming results quite crucial for market confidence.

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Investor's Corner

Tesla Board Chair defends Elon Musk’s pay plan, slams proxy advisors

The letter comes ahead of Tesla’s 2025 Annual Meeting, where shareholders will vote on several key proposals.

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robyn-m-denholm-tesla
CeBIT Australia, CC BY 2.0 , via Wikimedia Commons

Tesla Chair Robyn Denholm has issued a strongly worded letter urging investors to reject the latest recommendations from proxy advisory firms ISS and Glass Lewis, saying their “one-size-fits-all” approach fails to recognize Tesla’s unique business model and track record. 

The letter comes ahead of Tesla’s 2025 Annual Meeting, where shareholders will vote on several key proposals including Elon Musk’s 2025 CEO Performance Award and director reelections.

Tesla slams proxy advisors’ models

Denholm criticized both firms for consistently opposing Tesla’s growth-oriented plans, noting that the company’s market capitalization has increased twentyfold since shareholders approved Musk’s 2018 performance package, which both advisors had opposed at the time. 

“Our shareholders have ignored their recommendations, and it’s a good thing they did,” she wrote. “Otherwise, you may have missed out on our market capitalization soaring 20x while the proxy advisors time and time again recommended “against” Tesla proposals designed to promote the sort of extraordinary growth we have enjoyed.”

The letter argued that Glass Lewis and ISS use robotic policies that don’t account for Tesla’s innovation-driven structure. Tesla’s leadership maintained that the 2025 CEO Performance Award will only reward Musk if he achieves extraordinary market capitalization and operational goals. The plan, Denholm stated, aligns Musk’s incentives with long-term shareholder interests.

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Tesla defends board leadership

Denholm also defended directors Ira Ehrenpreis and Kathleen Wilson-Thompson, calling them pivotal to Tesla’s governance and innovation strategy. She said both have driven Tesla’s growth and helped design compensation systems vital to competing in the AI and robotics talent race.

She warned that following ISS and Glass Lewis could turn Tesla into “just another car company,” and urged shareholders to “vote yes to robots, and reject robotic voting.” The letter also highlighted that neither ISS nor Glass Lewis owns Tesla stock, emphasizing that only shareholders “who have made an actual financial investment” should decide the company’s direction.

“If you prefer that Tesla turn into just another car company mired in the ways of the past, then you should follow ISS and Glass Lewis. If you believe that Tesla, under the visionary leadership of Elon and the oversight of a Board that includes business leaders with integrity like Ira, Kathleen and Joe, then you should vote with Tesla,” Denholm wrote.

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Tesla Model S and Model X make a comeback in Europe

The updates inside and under the surface of the new Model S and Model X are meaningful.

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Credit: Tesla Europe & Middle East

Tesla’s luxury flagships are making a comeback in Europe. After disappearing from Tesla’s online configurator in July, the Model S and Model X are once again available to order across the region. 

Deliveries are set to begin in November, with the Model S priced from €109,990 and the Model X starting at €114,990. The update brings improved comfort, reduced cabin noise, and efficiency improvements to the two veteran EVs.

A subtle refresh

Tesla’s design team made only light exterior changes, but the updates inside and under the surface of the new Model S and Model X are meaningful. The refreshed Model S and Model X now feature upgraded insulation, enhanced active noise cancellation, and retuned air suspension to make the ride smoother and quieter. 

New 19- or 21-inch wheels and ambient interior lighting add a subtle modern touch to the two flagships, while the Model X’s third-row seating has been improved with more space for occupants, Tesla Europe and Middle East noted in a post on X.

Both vehicles gained adaptive headlights, blind-spot warning lights, and a standard front camera. Efficiency has also improved thanks to new aerodynamic rims and low-rolling-resistance tires. The Model S now boasts a WLTP range of 744 kilometers, while the heavier Model X can travel up to 600 kilometers on a single charge.

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Tesla’s performance flagship

The Model S Plaid, Tesla’s performance flagship, benefits from deeper upgrades in this cycle. The vehicle now features a redesigned front fascia and a new front splitter. Its rear aprons have also been updated, and it has been given a carbon rear spoiler and diffuser to enhance high-speed stability. 

Underneath, the drive rotors receive carbon sleeves for better performance under extreme loads. The Plaid sprints from zero to 100 kph in just 2.1 seconds and can reach 322 kph with optional ceramic brakes, while maintaining an impressive 611-kilometer range. Considering its performance figures, the Model S Plaid has once again become the market’s best bang-for-the-buck flagship performance car. 

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