Autonomous Vehicle Testing in California: A Decline in Public Road Testing

New Data from the California Department of Motor Vehicles

Tech companies developing self-driving vehicle technology have slowed down their testing on California’s public roads, according to new data from the state’s Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV). The agency reported a total of 4.5 million autonomous vehicle test miles were logged in 2024, a 50% drop from the previous year.

Decline in Driverless Testing

The decline is more pronounced under the driverless testing category, with records showing a 83% drop from 3.26 million miles in 2023 to just 552,895 miles last year. The DMV also released its annual disengagement reports, which detail instances where human drivers had to take over control due to technology failures or safety concerns.

Controversy Surrounding Disengagement Reports

The new figures reflect an industry with few players, including Waymo’s transition to commercial robotaxi operator, and the suspension and eventual shuttering of Cruise by its parent company GM. Cruise and Waymo have historically reported the highest testing miles, with Cruise logging 2.6 million test miles in 2023 until the DMV suspended its permits in October of that year.

Decline in New Permits Issued

There has been a noticeable decline over the past three years in new permits issued by the DMV for testing vehicles with a human driver. In 2022, four permits were issued, followed by two new permits in 2023, and just one new permit in 2024.

Current State of the Industry

Today, just 31 companies hold permits for testing with a safety driver, and of those, just 11 actually conducted public road testing in 2024. Nine companies that submitted reports for the 2023-2024 period have ceased testing and withdrawn from the program, according to the DMV. Tesla did not log any autonomous miles, per the report.

Companies Approved for Driverless Testing

Six companies, including AutoX, Nuro, WeRide, Waymo, and Zoox, are approved for driverless testing. Only Mercedes-Benz (which has an advanced driver assistance system that allows hands-free, eyes-off driving on some highways), Nuro, and Waymo have permits that allow commercial operations.

Comparison to the Past

This lies in contrast to the heady and hyped days of autonomous vehicles when venture funds flowed, and as many as 60 companies had permits to test so-called “drivered” autonomous vehicles. A period of consolidation swept through the nascent industry in 2019.

Recent Funding and Investment

Although there are some recent outliers, such as Wayve raising $1 billion in May and Waymo raising $5.6 billion in November, the result is a short list of active participants – with Waymo in front, in terms of testing and commercial miles. The upshot is a consolidated industry that lacks competition on the commercial front.

Conclusion

The decline in autonomous vehicle testing in California reflects a more cautious approach to the development of self-driving technology. With fewer companies willing to invest in the development of autonomous vehicle technology, the industry is becoming increasingly consolidated, with Waymo leading the way in terms of testing and commercial miles.