A Goldman Sachs 2026 industry forecast projects a $415 billion global robotaxi market and a $560 billion autonomous-trucking market by 2035. The same research estimates approximately $2 trillion in broader autonomous-vehicle revenue, including hardware, software, and services. It notes that some of that spending would shift from existing transportation activities. These forecasts show the scale of the autonomous-driving opportunity, which extends beyond passenger transport to the technologies covered in 12 Best Autonomous Driving Stocks to Buy at the beginning of 2026.
The research also forecasts that autonomous trucks could become cost-competitive with human-driven trucks in the United States in 2028. It models the higher hardware cost per truck falling from $125,000–150,000 today to $35,000–40,000 by 2035. These remain projections, but they show equipment cost as a measurable driver of the commercial opportunity. 11 Best Robotics Stocks to Buy Right Now examines the broader automation market.
Regulators have opened new routes toward deployment. Britain’s Department for Transport opened applications for taxi, bus and private-hire-style self-driving pilots on May 22, 2026. It requires safety assessments. This includes cybersecurity checks and local consent for services. Readers can explore the sector further in 11 Best Self-Driving Car Stocks to Buy According to Analysts.
The UK government’s pilot guidance separates operations without a safety driver from supervised trials. It requires a documented safety case and suitable vehicle maintenance and software management procedures. The same guidance also requires insurance covering liabilities from the vehicle and its operation, incident-management protocols and pre-deployment checks. Removing the onboard driver does not remove the operator’s responsibility for maintaining the vehicle and managing its operation.
Singapore shows the gap between passenger adoption and revenue since its Land Transport Authority reported more than 11,500 unique riders on Punggol’s autonomous shuttles by July 12, 2026. However, its July update said fixed-route rides would stay free while operators prepared service enhancements. Among approximately 270 residents the authority surveyed, almost 60% wanted more choice over where they board and alight, and around 40% preferred more direct routes. The authority outlined an on-demand pilot with more direct routes. Passenger interest alone does not establish paying demand.
Dubai’s Roads and Transport Authority reported more than four million robotaxi kilometers and 7,613 passenger trips in its August 19, 2026 update. The fleet totals 144 vehicles, 48 of them in active operation. The authority reiterated its target of making 25% of transportation trips autonomous by 2030, reported 97% customer satisfaction and described a phased rollout through defined operating zones, from safety-driver trials toward fully driverless public transportation.
These forecasts and official updates frame the opportunity through costs, approvals and passenger service. For another view of the technology supply chain, see 12 Best Photonics Stocks to Buy Now.
Our Methodology:
For our list, we picked US-listed companies that build autonomous-driving systems, commercialize driverless vehicles, or supply the essential sensing and computing technology those systems need. We favored companies with substantial AV activity, and we kept Alphabet, Tesla, and Baidu because each develops its own autonomous-driving technology.
Amazon owns Zoox, but we excluded Amazon because the business offers limited direct AV exposure within a much larger group. We also excluded Uber: its autonomous-mobility strategy centers on serving AV partners rather than developing the vehicle’s autonomous-driving system.
From that list, we selected 10 stocks with the most hedge fund investors, using Insider Monkey’s Q2 2026 database of hedge funds and their holdings.
Why do we care about what hedge funds do? The reason is simple: our research has shown that we can outperform the market by imitating the top stock picks of the best hedge funds. Our quarterly newsletter’s strategy selects 14 small-cap and large-cap stocks every quarter and has returned 612.3% since May 2014, beating its benchmark by 375 percentage points (see more details here).
10. WeRide Inc. (NASDAQ:WRD)
Number of Hedge Funds: 12
WeRide Inc. (NASDAQ:WRD) is building the infrastructure it needs to take its autonomous vehicles into more markets. On October 27, it launched an insurance partnership program with Allianz Insurance Singapore and Ping An P&C that covers risks including motor liability, product liability and cybersecurity. Management says its GENESIS world model supports training and validation of autonomous-driving systems in simulated environments.
Deployment is growing measurably since WeRide reported approximately 3,600 autonomous vehicles across 13 countries and more than 60 cities, including over 1,800 robotaxis. Its latest earnings showed Q2 revenue of RMB231.7 million, up 82.2% year over year, and gross margin of 37.5%, versus 28.1%. The company still recorded a RMB400.7 million quarterly loss.
Autonomy drives the business, but different products bring in different revenue streams. Level 4 activities generated RMB125.2 million, approximately 54% of sales. WeRide also supplies driver-assistance technology. The firm does not isolate robotaxi revenue. A larger fleet and tailored insurance advance the expansion story, while the earnings show that commercialization does not yet cover company-wide spending. 10 Chinese Tech Stocks to Buy Now offers a wider regional comparison.
9. Pony AI Inc. (NASDAQ:PONY)
Number of Hedge Funds: 20
Pony AI Inc. (NASDAQ:PONY) is taking its seventh-generation robotaxi technology toward another potential overseas market. Its recent memorandum with inDrive and NVIDIA outlines a feasibility assessment for autonomous ride-hailing in Kazakhstan, starting in Astana. Pony AI would supply the vehicles and inDrive would operate the service. But the launch still needs government agreement.
That proposal builds on an existing commercial base. In its latest earnings, Pony AI reported Q2 revenue of $36.2 million, up 68.8% year over year. Robotaxi revenue jumped 691.2% to $12.1 million, and robotruck services generated $13.3 million. Together they made up approximately 70% of sales, and intelligent solutions supplied the rest. Robotaxi revenue includes vehicle deliveries under joint deployment arrangements.
The company ended June with 1,975 robotaxis, and it says its Gen-7 system combines multiple sensors, redundancy and fail-operational capabilities. Net loss attributable to Pony AI widened to $59.8 million from $53.1 million. Therefore, the next chapter requires turning deployment growth into stronger financial results. 8 Best Young Technology Stocks to Buy Now provides comparisons with other emerging technology businesses.
8. Kodiak AI, Inc. (NASDAQ:KDK)
Number of Hedge Funds: 21
Kodiak AI, Inc. (NASDAQ:KDK) moved its highway-trucking plans closer to contracted revenue on October 28. It signed a definitive agreement under which DTL Transport will own and operate 75 driverless trucks and pay Kodiak a per-mile fee. The agreement establishes a commercial commitment, but it does not mean all 75 trucks already run without drivers.
Kodiak still targets its first driverless highway service by year-end, carrying IKEA freight between Dallas and Houston. Its technology already powered 35 customer-owned driverless industrial trucks at the second quarter-end. Management says its seventh-generation platform offers nearly 50% more computing power than its predecessor. 9 Best Trucking Stocks To Buy examines the carriers that autonomous technology could serve.
The latest earnings show the financial starting point since Kodiak made $3.5 million in Q2 revenue, up 91% sequentially, but it recorded a $43.7 million operating loss and used $34.1 million in operating cash. It reported $12.5 million in net income, but a $58.3 million warrant fair-value gain materially supported that result.
The Kodiak Driver anchors its trucking, industrial and defense applications, so autonomy sits at the center of the business. The new per-mile agreement ties its technology to a recurring revenue model, and operating losses show the commercialization challenge that remains.
7. Hesai Group (NASDAQ:HSAI)
Number of Hedge Funds: 21
Hesai Group (NASDAQ:HSAI) offers AV exposure through lidar sensors. Its latest results showed RMB860.8 million in Q2 revenue, up 21.9% year over year, including RMB815.9 million from lidar, approximately 94.8% of sales. That ratio measures lidar exposure across automotive and robotics applications.
The technology roadmap matters as much as shipment growth. In August, Hesai said customers were validating its Picasso-equipped ETX lidar and that requirements and quotation discussions with robotaxi operators and automakers were moving forward. That stage backs up a potential route into production, but it does not establish completed orders. 9 Best Lidar Stocks to Buy Right Now compares other suppliers.
Hesai shipped 628,275 lidar units in the quarter and earned RMB70.6 million in net income, up 60% year over year, which establishes an existing commercial business. Gross margin fell to 40.1% from 42.5%, reflecting product mix.
Hesai then launched Kosmo on October 14, combining spatial capture and cloud software to create 3D environments for AI development. The move extends its reach beyond AVs into the broader robotics opportunity explored in 9 Best Robotics Stocks to Buy as Amazon Deploys 1 Million Robots.
6. Mobileye Global Inc. (NASDAQ:MBLY)
Number of Hedge Funds: 29
Mobileye Global Inc. (NASDAQ:MBLY) develops technology across different stages of vehicle automation. Its SuperVision system provides hands-free assistance but requires eyes on the road. On the other hand, Mobileye Drive targets driverless robotaxis, public transport and goods delivery. That distinction gives investors a clearer view of its AV business than treating all driving assistance as autonomy.
In September, MOIA America and Beep began invited rides in Mobileye-equipped ID. Buzz vehicles in Orlando, with trained human operators onboard. The deployment adds passenger experience while keeping supervision in place. 8 Best Lidar Stocks to Buy According to Analysts explores related vehicle-perception suppliers.
Mobileye’s latest published quarter generated $508 million in revenue, roughly flat year over year, and a GAAP diluted loss of $0.03 per share. Adjusted diluted EPS rose to $0.19 from $0.13, and an R&D incentive grant materially supported the improvement in operating income. These results cover its overall product business together and does not break out robotaxi revenue separately.
On October 22, Mobileye also announced TÜV SÜD certification for its automatic emergency braking development process. That specific validation complements its technology development.
5. Aurora Innovation, Inc. (NASDAQ:AUR)
Number of Hedge Funds: 40
Aurora Innovation, Inc. (NASDAQ:AUR) now has a larger customer opportunity but a slower production ramp than it previously expected. Its third-quarter 2026 results showed a non-binding Charger Logistics memorandum covering 500 customer-owned trucks for delivery in 2027 and 2028. The proposed Driver as a Service arrangement would expand Aurora’s core trucking business.
Meanwhile, a production ramp running approximately six weeks behind plan led Aurora to cut its 2026 revenue expectation to about $9 million and push the 200-truck milestone to the end of February 2027. 12 Best Freight Stocks to Buy According to Hedge Funds provides context on the wider freight market.
The latest quarter generated $3 million in revenue from driverless and operator-supervised loads, compared with $1 million a year earlier. Aurora also recorded a $257 million operating loss and used approximately $170 million in operating cash. It ended September with more than $1 billion in cash and short-term investments.
Autonomous trucking anchors Aurora’s business. Its second-generation hardware already runs in trucks without a person behind the wheel, and management designed it for one million operating miles. The production delay now tests whether Aurora can turn that technology into revenue at scale.
4. Aptiv PLC (NYSE:APTV)
Number of Hedge Funds: 42
Aptiv PLC (NYSE:APTV) is pursuing more value per vehicle as automakers adopt advanced driving systems. Its October 21 NVIDIA collaboration brings Hyperion and the Halos safety system into Aptiv’s modular computing architecture. Manufacturers can use their own AI models or choose models from Aptiv, NVIDIA and other developers, which gives the platform flexibility across customer strategies.
That initiative builds on a profitable supplier business since Aptiv’s latest earnings showed Q2 sales of $3.274 billion, up 2% year over year, and net income from continuing operations of $298 million, versus $265 million. Diluted EPS from continuing operations jumped to $1.40 from $1.21.
Its Intelligent Systems segment made $1.501 billion in sales, approximately 46% of the group total, and $210 million in adjusted EBITDA, versus $204 million a year earlier. The segment includes products beyond autonomous driving, so its revenue does not quantify Aptiv’s AV business alone. 10 Cheap Robotics Stocks to Buy Right Now places it alongside other automation suppliers.
Aptiv already supplies production driver-assistance technology, and the expanded architecture backs up a progression from hands-free to fully autonomous driving.
3. Baidu, Inc. (NASDAQ:BIDU)
Number of Hedge Funds: 49
Baidu, Inc. (NASDAQ:BIDU) is preparing Apollo Go for another international market while its larger businesses grow unevenly. It was recently reported that Baidu and Freenow targeted a London driverless commercial launch in 2027 after supervised testing. That timetable builds on Apollo Go’s reported footprint of 28 cities and more than 240 million fully driverless kilometers.
The expansion sits within a diversified company. Baidu’s latest earnings showed Q2 revenue of RMB31.3 billion, down 4% year over year, and net income attributable to Baidu of RMB2.3 billion. GAAP diluted earnings per ADS totaled RMB5.74. 10 Best Autonomous Vehicle Stocks to Buy Now compares other autonomous-vehicle investments.
Baidu built its sixth-generation RT6 vehicles specifically for autonomous ride-hailing. It also reported fully driverless commercial operations in Dubai and fully driverless testing in Hong Kong. Those deployments give it operating experience beyond the supervised London trial.
The London plan adds a commercial milestone to watch, but it does not yet establish driverless revenue there. Baidu’s reported earnings still show businesses much larger than its separately undisclosed robotaxi operations.
2. Tesla, Inc. (NASDAQ:TSLA)
Number of Hedge Funds: 116
Tesla, Inc. (NASDAQ:TSLA) is expanding its driverless service while its latest earnings show pressure on current profits. Its Q3 2026 update reported nearly two million cumulative unsupervised robotaxi miles and Cybercab deployment in Austin. Its separate FSD (Supervised) product still requires active driver supervision and does not make consumer vehicles autonomous.
That operating progress comes with mixed Q3 results. Tesla generated $28.05 billion in revenue, roughly flat against $28.10 billion a year earlier, while GAAP net income attributable to common stockholders fell to $787 million from $1.37 billion. GAAP diluted EPS declined to $0.22 from $0.39. Automotive activities contributed $20.56 billion, approximately 73% of revenue.
Customer access to Cybercab is the next development: It was recently reported that Tesla targeted sales by year-end while federal regulators investigated the vehicles’ compliance with safety standards. The target still remains a plan. 10 Best ARK Stocks to Buy Right Now examines Tesla alongside other innovation investments.
Tesla says its onboard cameras give 360-degree visibility for supervised driving. Its showed driverless mileage, supervised consumer product and automotive revenue each measure a different part of the autonomy story.
1. Alphabet Inc. (NASDAQ:GOOGL)
Number of Hedge Funds: 275
Alphabet Inc. (NASDAQ:GOOGL) gives investors exposure to Waymo alongside much larger businesses. Waymo’s October 20 Madrid announcement targeted first riders in 2027, beginning with manual driving before technical validation. That followed a $5 billion term loan on October 8, the unit’s first debt financing.
Alphabet’s Q3 earnings release reported $127.6 billion in revenue, up 25% year over year, while diluted EPS declined to $2.12 from $2.87. Net income available to common stockholders fell to $26.2 billion from $35.0 billion.
Its Other Bets segment generated $372 million in revenue and a $2.05 billion operating loss. Revenue represented approximately 0.29% of consolidated sales, but the segment includes several businesses. 8 Best AI Stocks to Buy According to Billionaire Ken Griffin considers Alphabet within a broader institutional AI portfolio.
Waymo introduced sixth-generation Ojai vehicles to public riders in June, using a Driver that combines cameras, lidar and radar. That establishes operating deployment beyond a development roadmap, while Madrid remains a future launch. The segment figures also show why Waymo’s progress does not turn directly into a large share of Alphabet’s current revenue.
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