If you thought Texas was going to be Tesla's self-driving playground, well, buckle up buttercup - because Waymo just showed up to the rodeo and roped absolutely everything in sight.
Thanks to a new state law and a shiny AV registration tracker, Texas now has the clearest public accounting yet of exactly how many autonomous vehicles are rolling around the Lone Star State. And the numbers? Not exactly flattering for Elon's crew.
Waymo: the overachiever nobody can ignore
Waymo has staked out a dominant position in Texas autonomous vehicle registrations, leaving competitors - including Tesla - trailing well behind, according to data reported by TechCrunch. This isn't a photo finish. This is more like Waymo crossed the finish line, went home, had dinner, and everyone else is still looking for their car keys.
The tracker also counts self-driving trucks in the mix, which makes this a pretty comprehensive snapshot of the autonomous vehicle landscape in one of America's biggest and most AV-friendly states.
Why Texas even matters here
Texas has been quietly positioning itself as one of the most permissive states for autonomous vehicle testing and deployment. Big roads, sprawling cities, relatively welcoming regulators - it's basically a sandbox for anyone who wants to run a robotaxi operation without drowning in red tape.
That makes these registration numbers actually meaningful. This isn't just who filed the most paperwork - it's a real signal of who is committing serious resources to the autonomous vehicle game right now.
So where does Tesla fit in?
Tesla, despite years of "Full Self-Driving" headlines and Elon Musk's characteristically understated promises that robotaxis are always just around the corner, is showing up behind Waymo in the Texas count. That's notable, especially as Tesla has been loudly telegraphing its Cybercab ambitions to anyone within earshot.
Waymo, by contrast, has been less flashy and more... actually operational. Funny how that works.
The bigger picture
What this tracker really gives us - for the first time with any real clarity - is a scoreboard. Autonomous vehicles have existed in a hype fog for years, with companies making enormous claims and regulators struggling to keep count. Having a public, state-level registration system cuts through some of that noise.
Is Waymo winning the whole AV race forever? Absolutely not a conclusion anyone should draw from one state's registration data. But right now, in Texas, they are very much the ones wearing the belt buckle.
The robots are coming for your Uber driver. Waymo just got there first.
