TechCrunch Mobility: Waymo makes its defense
Source: TechCrunch
Waymo’s Senate Testimony & Remote‑Assistance Controversy
Earlier this month, Waymo chief safety officer Mauricio Peña testified before the Senate Commerce Committee (see the full testimony here).
Most of the questioning fell under the usual “let’s educate the public” umbrella, but Sen. Ed Markey zeroed in on Waymo’s overseas workers. When Peña explained that Waymo employs remote‑guidance workers based in the Philippines, Markey pushed back, questioning how a U.S.-operating company could rely on people without U.S. driver’s licenses to assist its vehicles on American roads.
Waymo responded in a blog post written by head of global operations Ryan McNamara (published Tuesday) and shared a formal letter to Markey’s office. Both are linked below:
- Blog post: Waymo’s response on remote assistance
- Letter: Sen. Markey – Waymo response (PDF)
Key takeaways
- Waymo does not employ people who “remotely drive” the robotaxis; the autonomous system remains in charge.
- Remote‑Assistance (RA) workers only answer specific information requests generated by the self‑driving system.
- Event Response Teams (ERTs)—certified U.S. staff—handle more complex incidents (collisions, law‑enforcement liaison, rider communication, data collection for regulators, towing coordination).
- Waymo maintains roughly 70 RA agents on duty worldwide at any given time, located in Arizona, Michigan, and two Philippine cities.
- With a fleet of ~3,000 vehicles that log >4 million miles and >400,000 rides per week, the ratio of workers to robotaxis is very low.
I have argued for years that AV companies need to be more transparent about behind‑the‑scenes operations, especially remote guidance. Mystery breeds mistrust.
Market Moves
- New York: Governor Kathy Hochul withdrew a proposal that would have amended state vehicle and traffic laws to effectively legalize robotaxis outside NYC.
“Based on conversations with stakeholders, including the legislature, it was clear that the support was not there to advance this proposal,” said spokesperson Sean Butler.
Reader Poll: Rivian R2 Pricing
Last week I asked Mobility readers to guess the starting price of the Rivian R2 launch edition. The options were:
- Under $50,000
- Above $60,000
- Above $70,000
Results:
- 54 % chose “above $60,000.”
- The remaining votes split between the other two options.
Upcoming TechCrunch Mobility Event
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| Boston, MA | June 9, 2026 |
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A Little Bird
Image Credits: Bryce Durbin
Senior reporter Sean O’Kane got the scoop from some little birds about layoffs at Lucid. Here’s what we know: Lucid is laying off 12 % of its workforce, according to an internal memo that TechCrunch has viewed. We don’t have an exact figure on workers affected, but it is likely hundreds.
Lucid has not filed its 2025 annual earnings yet, which would disclose how many employees it had at the end of the year. The company reported having 6,800 full‑time employees globally at the end of 2024 (SEC filing).
Since our report came out, O’Kane has learned a bit more. Affected employees found out early Friday morning, with a few noticing something was amiss when they lost access to Microsoft Teams. They are being placed on a 60‑day “administrative leave” and won’t be officially laid off until late April.
Got a tip for us? Email Kirsten Korosec at or my Signal at kkorosec.07, or email Sean O’Kane at .
Deals!
Image credit: Bryce Durbin
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Amari AI – a startup that uses AI tools to help customs brokers modernize and navigate President Trump’s trade policies – raised $4.5 M in a round co‑led by First Round Capital and Pear VC. The company says it already has more than 30 customers and has helped them move over $15 B of goods.
Read more -
Kavak – the Mexico‑based online used‑car dealer – raised $300 M in an equity round led by Andreessen Horowitz (which contributed $200 M). Other participants included WCM Investment Management (co‑lead) and Foxhaven Asset Management.
Read more -
LanzaJet – a next‑gen fuels technology company and producer – raised $47 M in the first close of a targeted $135 M equity round. The round was co‑led by IAG and Shell, with participation from Groupe ADP, LanzaTech, and Mitsui. The company disclosed a pre‑money valuation of $650 M.
Read more -
Metafuels – a sustainable aviation‑fuel startup based in Switzerland – raised $24 M in a Series A round led by UVC Partners. Other investors included Energy Impact Partners, Contrarian Ventures, RockCreek, Verve Ventures, and Fortescue.
Read more
Notable Reads and Other Tidbits
Image credit: Bryce Durbin
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Ford is trying to shift shareholder focus from last year’s $19.5 billion loss to a tech‑forward, nimble future. The automaker promises an electric truck starting at $30 k that can compete with Chinese rivals without eroding margins. Read how it plans to hit that target: Ford turns to F1 and bounties to build a $30,000 electric truck.
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Redwood Materials shows how AI‑data‑center fever is spreading. After launching an energy‑storage arm last year, Redwood’s Redwood Energy—focused on AI data centers—is now its fastest‑growing unit. Learn more: An AI data‑center boom is fueling Redwood’s energy‑storage business.
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Rivian is rolling out a companion app that lets owners lock/unlock doors, vent windows, and trigger the alarm from their Apple Watch. The update also brings a broader suite of new vehicle features. Details: Rivian owners will be able to access vehicle controls through their Apple Watch.
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Tesla lost its bid to overturn a $243 million jury verdict from a fatal Autopilot crash trial. (Recall that Tesla could have settled for $60 million: Tesla could have avoided that $242.5 M Autopilot verdict.)
However, the company scored a win with the California Department of Motor Vehicles, which announced it will not suspend Tesla’s sales and manufacturing licenses for 30 days after the automaker stopped using the term “Autopilot” in California marketing. Read more: Tesla dodges 30‑day suspension in California after removing “Autopilot”.
One more thing …
Image credit: Kirsten Korosec
I periodically test vehicles to keep pace with the latest in‑car tech, EVs, hybrids, and software updates. Coincidentally, I had a Lucid Air Touring sedan this week.
It’s been at least a year since I was behind the wheel of an Air, and I’ve been anxious to try the company’s hands‑free driver‑assistance system that launched last July. My past experiences with Lucid’s advanced driver‑assistance system, called Dream Drive, left me unimpressed. The vehicle would often ping‑pong in the lane (having trouble centering itself) or stay too close to the edge, putting me uncomfortably near the big rigs I passed on the highway.
I am happy to report that Lucid appears to have fixed these issues. Engaging the hands‑free system was straightforward, and it didn’t allow me to abuse it for long. As you can see in the picture above, if I put a phone in front of my face, a warning is triggered almost immediately.