Driverless Vehicles: What It Takes to Reach the Inflection Point

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At BNEF 2026, industry leaders gathered to discuss robotaxis and what it will take to move the sector from limited deployments to true commercial scale. The panel, “Driverless Vehicles: How to Reach the Inflection Point,” highlighted a central theme: progress is no longer limited by technology alone, but by how well the broader ecosystem can support deployment.

Andrew Grant, Head of Intelligent Mobility at BloombergNEF, opened the discussion by grounding the conversation in scale. Around 8,000 robotaxis are currently operating globally; a number expected to more than double to 18,000 this year, with continued geographic expansion. As driverless vehicles scale, distinct roles are emerging across the value chain, from vehicle manufacturing and autonomous driving software to fleet operations, charging infrastructure, and ride-hailing platforms.
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The Autonomous Vehicle Value Chain Is Fragmenting and Maturing
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Vehicles Built for Level 4 Autonomy
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Kay Stepper, Vice President of ADAS and Autonomous Driving at Lucid, explained that robotaxis must be designed from the ground up for Level 4 autonomy. Retrofitting vehicles is not scalable.
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Key requirements include:

• Redundant power, communication, and compute systems

• High-performance onboard computing with advanced cooling

• Integrated sensor fusion, including lidar, radar, cameras, and ultrasonic sensors

• Manufacturing robotaxis directly on the assembly line, not modified post-production
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As Stepper noted, these vehicles are expected to operate up to 20 hours per day, requiring greater durability, cleanliness, and automated monitoring than privately owned cars.
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Infrastructure Is Where Driverless Vehicles Either Scale or Stall
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Charging Depots Are Not Parking Lots
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Voltera CEO, Brett Hauser, brought the infrastructure perspective into sharp focus. He emphasized that charging depots for these types of vehicles are fundamentally different from public charging stations.
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“People get a bit of a misconception when they think of charging depots,” Hauser explained. “What we’re really building is more of a logistics hub than just a charging depot.”
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According to Hauser, public charging stations in the U.S. average around 15% utilization, while autonomous fleet depots are designed to operate at 75% utilization or higher from day one. That level of intensity requires industrial-grade equipment, strict service-level agreements, and continuous operations management.
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“You cannot have power modules melting,” Hauser said. “We have to guarantee 90–98% uptime. That’s not for the faint of heart.”
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Automation Inside the Depot Matters as Much as the Vehicle
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The Next Efficiency Frontier
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Hauser also outlined how driverless vehicles depend on more than autonomous driving alone. He identified three capabilities that must work together to unlock exponential efficiency:

• Autonomous charging

• Autonomous inspections

• Autonomous cleaning
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Hauser stated that: “If you can do those three things together and do them well, you can create exponential efficiency for a site.”
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These functions reduce downtime, lower operating costs, and increase vehicle throughput, critical factors as fleets grow.
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Real Estate, Power, and Policy Are the True Bottlenecks
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Scaling Driverless Vehicles Is a Development Challenge
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One of the most candid moments of the panel came when discussing real estate and permitting. Driverless vehicles need depots close to where trips originate and end, minimizing “deadhead miles.”
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Hauser highlighted that finding property that is zoned correctly and has power is a hand-to-hand combat in every market. Also, that zoning rules, utility timelines, and fragmented permitting processes vary city by city, often involving more than a dozen agencies. Even where EV charging is allowed “by right,” adding operational buildings pushes projects back into lengthy traditional development pathways.
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“It’s not sexy to talk about,” Hauser added, “but it’s imperative to get done.”
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Why the Inflection Point Is Finally Within Reach
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Despite the challenges, the panel agreed that robotaxis are entering a new phase. Volumes are growing; insurers are beginning to underwrite autonomous fleets, and policy conversations are accelerating.
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The consensus was clear: reaching the inflection point will require coordination across vehicles, infrastructure, operations, real estate, and regulation. As Hauser summarized through his contributions, scaling driverless vehicles depends not just on autonomy, but on building the physical and operational systems that make autonomy viable in the real world.
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If you are interested in the work that Voltera is doing, contact our team today!
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CTA: Schedule a Meeting
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Also, you can watch the full panel to gain even more knowledge.
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CTA: Go to the Conversation

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