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Tesla's Autonomous Vehicles Still Limited in New York City, while Waymo Begins Testing
New York City is taking a cautious approach to autonomous vehicles (AV), with Tesla's autonomous ride-hailing service still unavailable in the city, and Waymo being the first to receive a permit for AV testing.
As of August 2025, Waymo has been granted the first-ever permit to test up to eight autonomous vehicles in parts of Manhattan and Downtown Brooklyn. This pilot program, which runs until late September 2025, requires a trained safety driver to be behind the wheel at all times, reflecting the city’s strict safety rules for AV testing. The testing is limited to a small number of vehicles and is not open to public use during this phase. After the pilot period, Waymo may apply for an extension.
In contrast, Tesla's autonomous vehicles are yet to see any new specific regulatory updates in New York City. The company's Autopilot and Full Self-Driving (FSD) features are generally regulated under state and federal frameworks, but New York City maintains a cautious approach to fully driverless testing and has not granted Tesla equivalent testing permits like Waymo’s. Tesla vehicles can operate with driver assistance features but must comply with existing laws that require a human driver to maintain control.
Tesla's strategy for autonomous vehicles emphasizes the use of artificial intelligence to analyze real-world data gathered by its existing fleet of vehicles. However, the rollout of Tesla's autonomous ride-hailing service depends on regulatory approvals, which have not been granted in New York City as of now. Tesla's strategy has already seen some success with the launch of a limited robotaxi service in Austin, Texas in June.
Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla, had previously predicted that Tesla would have autonomous ride-hailing in half of the U.S. population by the end of the year. However, this prediction has not been realized, with the service only available in Austin, Texas. Musk acknowledged that the rollout is being done with caution due to safety concerns.
The current status of AVs in New York State is that they are limited to testing, and New York State law forbids autonomous vehicles without a driver. There is no current plan for legal changes to this law. This marks a cautious but deliberate step by NYC to start responsible AV testing in a complex urban environment while maintaining strict safety oversight.
| Aspect | Status as of August 2025 | |---------------------------|--------------------------------------------------| | Waymo autonomous testing | Permitted to test 8 vehicles with safety driver in Manhattan & Downtown Brooklyn until Sept 2025; no public use allowed during test | | Tesla autonomous vehicles | No new specific NYC regulatory updates; must follow current laws requiring driver attention; no permit for fully driverless testing | | Legislation | State law forbids autonomous vehicles without drivers; no current plans for legal changes |
References: [1] Waymo. (2025). Waymo Announces New York City Testing. Retrieved from https://waymo.com/nyc-testing/
[2] The New York Times. (2025). Waymo to Begin Testing Autonomous Cars in New York City. Retrieved from https://www.nytimes.com/2025/08/01/technology/waymo-autonomous-cars-new-york-city.html
[3] Tesla. (2025). Tesla's Autopilot and Full Self-Driving Features. Retrieved from https://www.tesla.com/autopilot
[4] New York State Department of Motor Vehicles. (2025). Autonomous Vehicles. Retrieved from https://dmv.ny.gov/vehicles/autonomous-vehicles
Finance and technology industries play crucial roles in the developments of Tesla's and Waymo's autonomous vehicles, though their progress in New York City varies. While Waymo has been granted the first permit to test AVs in parts of Manhattan and Downtown Brooklyn (Waymo Announces New York City Testing), Tesla's autonomous vehicles are yet to receive any new specific regulatory updates in the city (Tesla's Autopilot and Full Self-Driving Features). Consequently, the transportation industry, particularly the automotive sector, is impacted by these regulatory decisions, with Waymo leading the way in New York City for now.