The autonomous vehicle industry is heating up in Austin, Texas, as Tesla and Waymo engage in a geofence expansion battle. It all started when Tesla made a bold move by doubling its geofence size to cover 42 square miles in Austin. This put Tesla ahead of Waymo, which previously had a geofence of just 37 square miles in the city.
In response, Waymo decided to up the ante by expanding its geofence to a whopping 90 square miles in Austin. This impressive move includes new neighborhoods such as Crestview, Windsor Park, Sunset Valley, Franklin Park, and popular tourist destinations like The Domain and McKinney Falls State Park. With this expansion, Waymo now offers its fully autonomous vehicles to more riders in Austin through the Uber app.
Sarfraz Maredia, Global Head of Autonomous Mobility & Delivery at Uber, expressed excitement about the expansion, stating that it unlocks a key milestone in Austin and allows more riders to experience Waymo’s autonomous driving technology. Shweta Shrivastava, Senior Director of Product Management at Waymo, echoed this sentiment, highlighting the company’s commitment to growth and innovation in Austin.
The competition between Tesla and Waymo is not just about geofence size—it also benefits consumers by pushing both companies to improve their services. Tesla’s recent geofence expansion was not just a practical decision but also a playful one, with a shape that could be seen as a joke or a warning to competitors. Now that Waymo has responded with a massive geofence expansion, it remains to be seen how Tesla will react.
Overall, the autonomous vehicle industry in Austin is evolving rapidly, with Tesla and Waymo leading the charge in innovation and service expansion. As the two companies continue to push boundaries and compete for dominance in the market, consumers can expect to see even more exciting developments in the near future.