Waymo identified a software problem that could likely cause the vehicles to enter a closed freeway construction zone and continue driving at speed.
- GOOG stock is down 4.3% so far this month and 11.2% below its record high set on May 18.
- Despite its limited financial contribution to Alphabet’s topline, analysts value Waymo at tens of billions of dollars due to its potential leadership in autonomous ride-hailing.
- Stocktwits sentiment for GOOGL dipped to ‘neutral’ from ‘bullish.’
Google stock inched marginally higher in the premarket session on Thursday but remains in the red for the month, amid broader weakness in Big Tech and software stocks.
On Thursday, the U.S. road safety agency announced that Google’s self-driving car unit Waymo will recall 3,871 robotaxis in the U.S. to fix a navigation issue.
Waymo identified a software problem that could likely cause the vehicles to enter a closed freeway construction zone and continue driving at speed, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said in a notice, according to Reuters.
GOOGL stock gained 0.2% in the premarket session. As of the last close, the stock is down 4.3% so far this month and 11.2% below its record high set on May 18.
The recall pertains to certain Fifth Generation Automated Driving Systems (ADS) in robotaxis. Waymo will update the ADS (Automated Driving Systems) software to detect where the vehicle is and avoid entering construction zones, free of charge, NHTSA said.
Waymo Of Strategic Importance To Google
Waymo’s revenue is not reported separately; it is included in Alphabet’s “Other Bets” segment, which has historically contributed well under 1% of total revenue and has generated operating losses.
Despite its small current financial contribution, analysts often value Waymo at tens of billions of dollars and consider it strategically important because of its potential leadership in autonomous ride-hailing.
Waymo competes with Tesla, which is developing a camera-based robotaxi network, and Amazon-owned Zoox, alongside autonomous driving firms such as Baidu Apollo, Pony.ai, and WeRide.
Retail View For GOOGL, Recent Catalysts
On Stocktwits, the retail sentiment for GOOGL dipped to ‘neutral’ from ‘bullish,’ amid ‘neutral’ message volume. GOOGL shares are up 16.4% year to date.
Earlier this week, Google said it will invest $1.5 billion for 2026 and 2027 to expand its data center campus in Jackson County, Alabama, amid a rapid expansion of cloud infrastructure by Big Tech companies.
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