3 Stocks Powering the Future of Autonomous Driving

Key Points

• Robotaxis are making headlines again, from WeRide's 250% stock price surge to Lyft's plans to launch robotaxis in 2026.
• Robotaxis require sourcing many components and technologies, including ADAS, LiDAR, and automotive systems.
• Waymo is the leading robotaxi provider, having logged over 5,000 trips and 25 million autonomous driving miles.

The age of autonomous or self-driving vehicles is nearly upon us. Robotaxis are becoming more commonplace as Alphabet Inc. NASDAQ: GOOGL owned Waymo’s robotaxis, which has already delivered 5 million rides, surpassing over 25 million miles of driving. Waymo has plans to expand to Austin, Texas, Miami, Florida and Atlanta, Georgia in 2025. The new Trump administration is seeking to ease regulations on autonomous driving with the influence of Tesla Inc. NASDAQ: TSLA CEO Elon Musk. Here are three stocks instrumental in making autonomous driving a reality sooner rather than later. The 250% surge in WeRide Inc. NASDAQ: WRD, a China-based autonomous driving platform with NVIDIA Co. NASDAQ: NVDA investment, ushered in more attention on robotaxis.

Mobileye: Supervision Is No Longer Just for Superheroes

A key player for autonomous driving will be Mobileye Global Inc. NASDAQ: MBLY, a developer and supplier of advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) autonomous driving technology solutions. The company’s Mobileye Drive platform is a turn-key system-on-a-chip (SoC) system that utilizes camera-heavy, AI-driven, and light detection and ranging (LiDAR)-boosted solutions.

The computer and technology sector company’s SuperVision system uses 11 cameras for a full 360-degree perception processing at 1,200 tera operations per sector (TOPS). The camera system is cheaper and more scalable than LiDAR-only systems.

Lyft to Launch Mobileye Robotaxis in Dallas, Texas in 2026

Mobileye made headlines on Feb 10, 2025, when TechCrunch reported that rideshare operator Lyft Inc. NASDAQ: LYFT has plans to bring robotaxis powered by Mobileye systems to its app in 2026. Lyft plans to launch them in Dallas, Texas and then scale across multiple cities in thousands of vehicles. Marubeni is rumored to own and finance the actual Robotaxi vehicles. Marubeni is expected to use Lyft’s Flexdrive to manage the fleet and keep utilization rates high.

When asked about the robotaxi opportunities with robotaxis during their Q4 2024 earnings call, CCO Dan Galves commented, “So, I do see kind of a revival of the robotaxi opportunity, mostly due to the success of Waymo. And we see indications from the market in terms of partners, whether it's operators, big platform builders who would like to play a more meaningful -- to be a more meaningful actor in this emerging market.”

Luminar Technologies: Leading the LiDAR Standard

Autonomous vehicles need to be able to sense their surroundings in order to navigate safely. There is much debate about whether a camera-based system like Mobileye's or Tesla’s is a better system versus LiDAR, which uses pulsed laser lights to create 3D models of the surroundings.

LiDAR’s vulnerability lies in the potential interference from external light sources in weather conditions like fog, rain and snow. Luminar is under the gun as it burned through $1.3 billion in cash in 2025 and implemented 20% layoffs to curb cash burn. It also faces competition from Mobileye’s imaging radar, which is more effective than LiDAR in most weather conditions, with the exception of heavy snow.

Luminar Technologies Inc. NASDAQ: LAZR insists that LiDAR is the way to go. Its Iris sensor blasts 1.5 million points per second in a 250-meter range, which is way past Mobileye's camera range. This, combined with its Sentinel software stack, which integrates LiDAR with HD maps and perception software, provides a full vision stack. It is a key component for robotaxis looking for needle precision.

Luminar's argument is convincing as the company has over 50 partners and 12 of the top 15 automakers on board with its LiDAR standard. The Volvo EX90 is the first and only LiDAR technology included as standard equipment on a global production vehicle, which started shipping in September of 2024.

Aptiv: Motional Level 4 Robotaxis Underway

Aptiv PLC NYSE: APTV is an automotive components manufacturer providing electrical, electronic and safety technology solutions to OEMs. Aptiv partnered with Hyundai in a joint venture called Motional, an autonomous vehicle technology company.

They’ve already been using Motional’s technology to test level 4 autonomous driving using the Hyundai IONIQ 5 robotaxis that utilizes machine learning. Aptiv supplies the electrical architecture, connectivity and ADAS software to OEMs.

Motional has already logged 1.5 million autonomous miles in 2024. Waymo announced a new partnership using Hyundai IONIQ 5 EVs for their fleet of robotaxis. Hyundai has stated the Waymo deal doesn’t influence Motional.

Aptiv closed 2024 with $31 billion in new business bookings and $7 billion in new China business. Operating cash flow hit a record $1.1 billion in the quarter.