Robo-taxis to land in South Korea?

robo-taxi adoption is quickly becoming a reality. from comparing Waymo and Tesla's self-driving technology to the taxi industry's anticipated conflict with South Korea's introduction, we take a look at the present and future of robotaxis.

robotaxis are no longer the distant future

Self-driving taxis are no longer the stuff of sci-fi movies, they're becoming a reality. in the United States, robotaxis are already hitting the streets, and the number of riders is exploding. tesla first introduced the concept of Autopilot to its cars, and the interest in autonomous driving has only accelerated with advances in AI technology.

currently, Google's Waymo and Tesla are the two leading companies in the self-driving taxi market. both companies are targeting the robotaxi market with different approaches, but how far has the technology come and when will it be available in Korea?

waymo vs Tesla: Who's ahead of the curve?

tesla was the first to announce self-driving taxis, with Elon Musk touting the idea that Tesla owners could earn extra money by automatically driving their cars as robotaxis when not in use, but the reality was different. google's quietly preparing Waymo was the first to commercialize.

since its commercial launch in 2020, Waymo has grown steadily: it now operates more than 2,500 robotaxis in five regions - Atlanta, Austin, LA, Phoenix, and San Francisco - with 250,000 trips per week and more than 10 million cumulative trips. It has logged more than 100 million miles.

most notable is the level of technology. waymo is Level 4 certified, meaning it can drive fully autonomously without human supervision. tesla, on the other hand, is still rated between Level 2 and Level 3, requiring a human driver. tesla began commercializing its robotaxis last year and is expanding its footprint, but for now, Waymo has the technological edge.

as of April 2025, Weimo had more than 1 million monthly active users, a tenfold increase in just two years.

challenges for robotaxis

while robotaxis are growing rapidly, there are still many hurdles to overcome.

the first is a matter of trust. a recent survey found that three-quarters of Americans don't trust self-driving taxis. There's a lot of psychological resistance to entrusting your safety to a car that isn't driven by a human. But interestingly, people who have actually used a robotaxi are 56 percentage points more trusting than those who haven't. It may be a matter of familiarity after all.

statistically, robotaxis are safe. according to a joint study by Waymo and Swissri, based on nearly 40 million kilometers of driving, the number of property damage claims has dropped by 88% and the number of personal injury claims by 92%. However, people tend to overestimate situations they are in direct control of, which makes it difficult for them to open up.

the second challenge is cost. currently, Weimo's robotaxis cost an estimated $130,000 to $200,000. this is because they use expensive safety equipment and expensive AI semiconductors, and the company has to pay for cleaning, maintenance, parking, etc. None of them are making a profit yet. However, Weimo has changed its test fleet to Hyundai Ioniq 5 instead of Jaguar, and the price of sensors is falling, so it is expected to reduce costs in the long run.

if robotaxis are introduced in Korea

if robotaxis were to be introduced in Korea, the biggest obstacle would be conflict with the existing taxi industry. for those who remember the Tada scandal in 2019, this is especially worrisome, as the political establishment sided with the taxi industry and effectively blocked ride-sharing services from entering the country.

the specifics of our taxi industry also need to be considered. instead of curbing taxi fare hikes, the government strictly limits licenses, which can cost anywhere from tens of millions of won to over 100 million won depending on the region. It's hard for the government to shake up the licensing system.

but we also need to be realistic. the average age of a taxi driver is currently 64, and more than half are over 65. as the rest of the world moves toward robotaxis, we can't block progress forever. The time is coming to consider a gradual rollout while preparing an exit strategy for taxi drivers.

frequently asked questions

Q1. What is the level of autonomous driving technology in robotaxis?

currently, Weimo, the market leader in robotaxis, is certified to level 4 autonomous driving, which is the level where the car can drive fully autonomously without human supervision. tesla is rated between Level 2 and Level 3, meaning it still requires a human driver.

Q2. Are robotaxis really safe?

statistically, they are very safe. according to Weimo's research, property accidents have been reduced by 88% and person-to-person accidents by 92% over 40 million kilometers of driving. However, many people are still psychologically unable to trust autonomous driving.

Q3. Is there any chance of robotaxis being introduced in Korea?

it is technically possible, but conflict with the taxi industry is the biggest variable. a strong backlash from the existing taxi industry is expected, just like the Tada incident in 2019, and complex interests related to the taxi license system need to be resolved.

Q4. How much does one robotaxi cost?

currently, Weimo's robotaxis are estimated to cost around $130,000 to $200,000 per vehicle. this is due to the high cost of safety equipment and AI semiconductors, which will gradually decrease as the technology improves.

wrapping up

the age of robotaxis is fast approaching. waymo has already commercialized one, and Tesla is following suit. there are still challenges of cost and public distrust, but these barriers will be lowered as the number of users increases.

in Korea, we have a special situation with the taxi industry, so it will take time to adopt, but it will be difficult to completely buck the global trend. it's important to prepare for the changes that robotaxis will bring and come up with a smart transition strategy.

if you have any more questions about robotaxis, let us know in the comments. if you'd like to stay up to date on autonomous driving and the future of mobility, please subscribe.