China Dominates Robotaxi Rankings as Waymo Recalls Thousands of Self-Driving Cars

A new AI-powered benchmarking system from research startup Autnmy AI has ranked China's Baidu Apollo Go program as the leading robotaxi operator globally, edging out Alphabet's Waymo. The ranking was published June 19 as part of the Road to Autonomy Index.

The system, which updates every 12 hours, searches public databases including federal reports, SEC filings, and public exchanges to evaluate companies based on operations, scale, revenue, partnerships, manufacturing, and safety. As of the initial ranking, Baidu Apollo Go held first place, followed by Waymo, Pony.ai, WeRide, and Tesla in fifth.

Texas Fleets and Recall Setbacks

In Texas, where an automated vehicle tracker launched in May, Waymo registered 620 autonomous vehicles as of late June, up 7.5 percent from 577 in May. Tesla increased its fleet to 69 vehicles from 42, a 64 percent jump. Zoox reached 43, while Avride, Nuro, and MOIA held steady at 317, 47, and 12 respectively.

But Waymo also faced a setback. The company recalled approximately 3,900 robotaxis in the United States after 13 incidents where vehicles drove into freeway construction zones in Phoenix and San Francisco. A notice filed with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration described the software issue, which Waymo voluntarily addressed. It is the company's second recall in just over a month.

• Baidu Apollo Go: Ranked first globally in Autnmy AI's robotaxi index.
• Waymo: Second; 620 vehicles registered in Texas as of June 2026.
• Tesla: Fifth; 69 Texas vehicles, up 64% since May.
• Recall: 3,900 Waymo vehicles affected by construction zone software bug.

Political Obstacles and Industry Expansion

Waymo delivers more than 500,000 paid rides per week across 10 U.S. cities and raised $16 billion in February 2026, but it cannot operate in New York City. According to a report from The Next Web, opposition from local politicians and labor unions has blocked its entry. The taxi lobby in New York has been a significant factor in keeping robotaxis off the city's streets.

The company is expanding internationally to Tokyo and London, signaling that political hurdles in some U.S. cities may not slow its global ambitions. Meanwhile, Stellantis, Wayve, and Uber struck a deal in June to jointly develop and deploy driverless robotaxis, and data startup XDOF raised $70 million for robot training data from investors including Thrive Capital and a16z.

The next phase for the industry will likely center on safety transparency and political acceptance. With China's operational lead and Waymo's recall, the race for robotaxi dominance is increasingly shaped by data quality, regulatory relationships, and public trust.