What it will actually be like to hail one in New York

Is it safe?

Waymo publishes peer-reviewed crash data over 100 million-plus rider-only miles showing roughly 90% fewer serious-injury crashes than human drivers on the same roads. Tesla publishes aggregate miles-per-crash figures for FSD but no third-party-audited robotaxi data. Cruise, the cautionary tale New York legislators cite, was shut down after dragging a pedestrian in San Francisco and misleading regulators. Independent testing of Tesla FSD in Manhattan has documented failures with school buses, emergency vehicles and bike lanes — the scenarios Albany will ask about.

What will it cost?

In live cities Waymo averages about 13% above UberX per trip, but there is no tip, so it wins on trips over roughly eight miles. Tesla's Austin pricing (~$3 + $1.40/mile) undercuts UberX, and Cybercab launched ~35% below that. New York will add its own surcharges: the $2.75 FHV congestion surcharge below 96th Street and the $1.50 congestion-relief toll below 60th. Run your route in the fare calculator.

Will it be accessible?

S10413 would require wheelchair-accessible vehicles as a condition of any NYC autonomous-taxi license. Waymo's Jaguar and Ojai and Tesla's Model Y are not WAV-capable today; Zoox's pod and the VW ID. Buzz are closer. Expect accessibility to be a decisive lever in the Council.

Airports?

Only some robotaxi cities serve airports (Phoenix, SFO, SJC). JFK, LaGuardia and Newark are Port Authority turf with their own permitting; Waymo has begun manual mapping at Newark. Airport runs would likely come after a Manhattan/Brooklyn core launch, not before.

When?

The 2027 legislative session is the earliest realistic window for a law change; a pilot would likely start upstate or in a limited NYC zone; most observers put public NYC service at 2028 or later. Philadelphia will be first in the region, possibly by late 2026. The moment anything becomes bookable within your ZIP code, our alert list tells you.