Physical AI: Robotaxis Are Becoming a Platform Story – And the Market Is Underestimating It
At first glance, robotaxis seem like a topic for fans and car nerds. But if you take a closer look, you quickly realize that this is not about a new vehicle segment – this is the emergence of a platform story. And platform stories are rarely small on the stock market.
The market for autonomous driving is no longer purely a question of hardware or cars. The decisive factor is the ability to control the entire chain: chips and computing power, software and AI models, sensors, data, training, infrastructure – and ultimately, scaling in a regulated, real world. It is precisely this combination that makes “autonomous driving” the next chapter in AI.
Physical AI: When AI Takes Over the Real World
now talks about “physical AI” – an AI cycle in which models no longer just write text or generate images, but control real-world processes: vehicles, logistics, factories, robotics. The idea is plausible: as soon as AI can be reliably translated into movement, navigation, and decision-making, software becomes a system.
The robotaxi story is therefore not just a car topic, but a testing ground for a new type of infrastructure. Whoever controls the technological stack will ultimately control the barriers to entry – and thus the profits.
Waymo Drives – Tesla Polarizes – Nvidia Builds the Infrastructure
In the public perception, it often seems like a duel. In reality, there are three different approaches:
Waymo () is considered the operational pioneer. Compared to many of its competitors, the Google subsidiary has the advantage of already operating robotaxis in real cities. This is more than just marketing: operation means data, experience, safety processes, regulatory routine – and thus a head start that cannot be quickly copied.
Tesla stands for the most radical approach. Camera-based systems, large fleets, rapid rollout, maximum vision. This makes Tesla a bet on scaling – but also a bet on the correctness of an approach. If Tesla is right, it would be a technological breakthrough. If not, it is an expensive experiment in a market that does not guarantee second chances.
Nvidia, on the other hand, is not trying to be the robotaxi itself. The company wants to provide the infrastructure: chips, platforms, AI frameworks – and thus set the standard on which others can build. This is precisely what makes the approach so interesting from a strategic perspective: whoever controls the platform can profit, even if different brands ultimately supply the cars.
Why Mercedes Is More Than Just a Car Manufacturer in This Story
What is particularly exciting is that established manufacturers increasingly want to build not just “a car with assistance,” but see software stacks and AI platforms as a strategic core. has pointed out several times in recent years that software-based architecture, data, and AI will be decisive in setting the industry apart over the next decade.
Cooperation and shared visions with Nvidia fit into this picture: a premium manufacturer cannot develop the entire AI ecosystem on its own – but it can dock onto the platform that provides the technological standard. This is an important signal for investors: the robot taxi story is not just happening in the tech bubble, but is beginning to arrive in the industrial mainstream.
Stock Market: Why Such Platform Stories Are Not Priced in Linearly
The key point for investors is not whether robotaxis will come “sometime.” The market already knows that. The question is: When will the perception shift from ‘vision’ to “scaling”?
Platform stories are rarely priced in steadily. They jump: due to regulatory decisions, technological breakthroughs, operating figures, product cycles.
And that’s exactly where the big opportunities arise – but also the biggest mistakes. Those who buy too early pay for hope. Those who react too late pay for momentum. In such phases, it is not the loudest hype that wins, but the best structure.
Conclusion: Robotaxis Are the Next AI Battle – And It Is Starting Now
The “robotaxi war” is therefore not just a debate about Tesla, Google, or Nvidia. It is a competition for the next technology standard: AI as infrastructure in the real world.
Waymo has the operational edge, Tesla has the most radical vision, Nvidia has the platform approach – and it is precisely this tripartite division that makes the topic so relevant to the stock market.
If you want to understand the next phase of the AI cycle, you can’t ignore this story.
***
Disclaimer/Risk Disclosure:
The articles provided here by Liberty Stock Markets GmbH are for informational purposes only and do not constitute recommendations to buy or sell. They are not to be understood, either explicitly or implicitly, as assurances of a particular price development of the financial instruments mentioned or as a call to action. The purchase of securities involves risks that may lead to the total loss of the capital invested. The information does not replace expert investment advice tailored to individual needs. No liability or guarantee is assumed, either expressly or implicitly, for the topicality, correctness, adequacy, or completeness of the information provided, nor for any financial losses incurred. These are expressly not financial analyses, but journalistic texts. Readers who make investment decisions or carry out transactions based on the information provided here do so entirely at their own risk. The employees of Liberty Stock Markets GmbH may hold securities of the companies/securities/shares discussed here at the time of publication, and therefore a conflict of interest may exist.
