Sawt Falasteen - Waymo exec hopeful Trump will boost autonomous driving

Tekedra Mawakana, co-chief executive of the Google-owned robotaxi venture, said the "race" around autonomous driving had "matured" compared with Donald Trump's first presidential administration, alluding to a global competition in which the US company is competing with Chinese and German auto players.

"This is a real opportunity for US leadership and so enabling safe sustainable transportation that is autonomous is very aligned with what I think this administration will want to do," Mawakana said during a fireside chat interview at the Consumer Electronics Show.

Tech experts expect the Trump administration to set a national standard on autonomous driving standards after Trump donor and Tesla Chief Executive Elon Musk embraced the move.

Musk, who is expected to play an influential role in the Trump White House, has expressed frustration with the gap between Texas and California when it comes to rules on autonomous vehicles.

Musk plans to launch a robotaxi venture that would compete directly with Waymo. He is targeting the venture to begin by 2027.

Mawakana declined to comment directly on whether she trusted Musk to treat competitors fairly in his dealings with Trump. But she welcomed competition, saying "making the road safer is an important mission, and it's too big for one company."

Although autonomous driving is still a long way from mainstream use, Waymo made strides in 2024. The company operates commercially in three US cities and plans two more US city launches in 2025. It currently provides more than 150,000 trips weekly.

Mawakana cautioned of the risk with a national standard of "a race to the bottom on safety," but said Trump's team had been "very forward-leaning" on autonomous driving.

"As far as a national framework, that'll be great. It's just that that framework should require people to demonstrate their safety record," she said.

P.AbuBaker--SF-PST