After years of hype and behind-the-scenes development, self-driving car technology is beginning to be a reality. Vehicles featuring advanced driver-assist systems (ADAS) and some level of self-driving autonomy are now rolling off assembly lines, and the race to full-blown autonomy is underway.
From consumer discretionary staples to transportation to vehicles and automakers, this movement will have far-reaching effects on the economy and will encompass businesses worth trillions of dollars. Self-driving cars are a massive technological movement investors will want to participate in.
Investing in self-driving car stocks in 2026
Since self-driving vehicles will affect every sector of the economy, there are a lot of investment options to consider. Cloud computing stocks are an obvious choice since the cloud will be integral to managing vehicle autonomy data and software, as well as the autonomous vehicles (AVs) themselves.
Self-driving capabilities are also joined at the hip with electric vehicles (along with the lithium production industry supplying materials for battery technology) since battery-powered drivetrains completely reimagine the design and build of cars.
But there's no shortage of more focused bets on vehicle autonomy technology. Here are eight top self-driving car stocks to consider right now:
| Name and ticker | Market cap | Dividend yield | Industry |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alphabet (NASDAQ:GOOGL) | $4.0 trillion | 0.25% | Interactive Media and Services |
| Alphabet (NASDAQ:GOOG) | $4.0 trillion | 0.25% | Interactive Media and Services |
| Amazon (NASDAQ:AMZN) | $2.6 trillion | 0.00% | Multiline Retail |
| Tesla (NASDAQ:TSLA) | $1.5 trillion | 0.00% | Automobiles |
| Nvidia (NASDAQ:NVDA) | $4.5 trillion | 0.02% | Semiconductors and Semiconductor Equipment |
| Qualcomm (NASDAQ:QCOM) | $181.3 billion | 2.08% | Semiconductors and Semiconductor Equipment |
| Micron Technology (NASDAQ:MU) | $389.3 billion | 0.13% | Semiconductors and Semiconductor Equipment |
| General Motors (NYSE:GM) | $77.3 billion | 0.69% | Automobiles |
| Ford Motor Company (NYSE:F) | $55.9 billion | 4.28% | Automobiles |
1. Alphabet
Alphabet -- parent organization of Google, YouTube, and myriad other tech businesses -- is a top play on self-driving cars. Self-driving cars are essentially all about data, specifically using information from the roads to train an artificial intelligence (AI) system to navigate a vehicle.
NASDAQ: GOOG
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NASDAQ: GOOGL
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Google's massive index of information on the internet gives it an obvious leg up here. Subsidiary Google Cloud is being used by all types of businesses to manage autonomous vehicle design and manufacturing, train self-driving AI algorithms, and manage vehicle software updates.
Included in an investment in Alphabet is the top AV start-up, Waymo. For years, Google has been using its highly profitable internet advertising business to fund Waymo's research and development (R&D). The company is training its "Waymo Driver" system for use as an autonomous ride-hailing service (Waymo One) and a heavy trucking and delivery solution (Waymo Via).
Waymo's driverless cars are on the road in Phoenix, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Atlanta, and Austin. The company's self-driving ride-hailing service, Waymo One, is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week in its service areas.
By late 2025, Waymo had more than 2,000 driverless cars in its U.S. fleet that have driven tens of millions of miles since 2019. Waymo recently expanded its autonomous vehicle testing and operations into four new cities: Baltimore, Pittsburgh, St. Louis, and Philadelphia.
2. Amazon
Amazon is far more than an e-commerce giant. In fact, savvy investors know that AWS (Amazon Web Services), the public cloud computing pioneer, is what really makes Amazon a highly profitable tech titan. As can be expected with other cloud platforms, AWS has a self-driving car segment that helps automakers and other vehicle technologists manage their autonomous driving data.
NASDAQ: AMZN
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In September 2025, Amazon's Zoox officially launched its fully driverless robotaxi service in Las Vegas. These robotaxis, which don't have a steering wheel or even pedals, offer rides to the public via the Zoox mobile app.
Zoox will initially provide free trips from popular entertainment spots, like Resorts World Las Vegas and Topgolf. Eventually, upon receiving regulatory approval, Zoox will expand its services and introduce paid rides.
Zoox also launched in San Francisco's SoMa, Mission, and Design districts in November 2025 as part of its Zoox Explorers program. The company is testing in several other cities, including Austin, Miami, Los Angeles, Atlanta, Washington, D.C., and Seattle, and Zoox aims to remove the waitlist entirely and begin charging for rides in 2026.
Companies like autonomous driving start-up Tier IV also use Amazon's AWS cloud platform to develop AVs. AWS enables the computational resources and cloud-based infrastructure that Tier IV requires to operate simulations and machine learning to support its development processes.
3. Tesla
Tesla's work to accelerate the electric vehicle movement is undeniable. However, its work on full self-driving capabilities is a bit more controversial.
NASDAQ: TSLA
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Every Tesla ships with Autopilot, an advanced driver-assist system (ADAS) that features adaptive cruise control and auto-steer, which keeps the car within its lane. The company's Full Self-Driving (FSD) upgrade package comes with a lot more features that still require a driver to be alert and ready to take the wheel.
FSD Beta, a limited test among some owners with the FSD system, promises to build on these features with autopilot navigation and city street auto steering. Unlike most other automakers, Tesla is attempting to develop self-driving technology without lidar (light detection and ranging, which is basically the use of lasers to help a car map out its surroundings).
Instead, it's devoting research to computer vision, which gives a computing system the ability to see and make driving decisions using cameras. To aid in its development, Tesla is building supercomputers called Dojo to train its AI algorithms.
The company has hinted it might allow other self-driving car developers to use Dojo as well. However, a full Dojo system can potentially draw more than 2 megawatts of power. For context on the scale of that level of power demand, a single megawatt is typically enough to power hundreds of residential homes.
Tesla launched an invitation-only self-driving taxi service in Austin in June 2025. The service operated with supervising Tesla employees in the passenger seat for safety, and it required users to book rides through a dedicated app within a specific geographical area.
In August 2025, Tesla received the necessary permits to run its ride-hailing service in Texas, another major step forward for the business. Future U.S. and international rollouts are planned for 2026 pending regulatory approvals.
Tesla is actively testing Model Ys without safety drivers in Austin, marking a major step towards fully autonomous operation as envisioned by CEO Elon Musk. A new FSD model is expected in early 2026, alongside the launch of the new Cybercab.
4. Nvidia
Semiconductors are the basic building blocks of all computing systems, including self-driving car technology. Nvidia is leading the charge on this front with its unique take on chip design and software. Nvidia was a strategic partner of Tesla years ago (they made Tesla's original self-driving chips before Tesla opted to design its own using Samsung's design and manufacturing platform).
NASDAQ: NVDA
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NASDAQ: QCOM
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However, Qualcomm's mobility chip specialty is finding new life in the auto industry. The Snapdragon Digital Chassis is an entire platform powering vehicle connectivity, computing, and ADAS. Qualcomm also acquired the self-driving car software business Arriver, formerly part of auto supplier Veoneer, to help accelerate its development of a vehicle autonomy platform.
6. Micron Technology
Memory chips have been a key ingredient in vehicles for decades. However, autonomous cars will rely on digital memory like never before. Micron is a leader in this space and is reporting rapid growth since automakers need more memory chips to enable self-driving and ADAS car capabilities.
NASDAQ: MU
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In fact, Micron thinks self-driving cars will be its top growth driver in the next few years. In addition to vehicles, cloud computing -- used to train AI software and manage vehicle fleets -- is also propelling higher demand for Micron's memory chips.
As a manufacturer, Micron is a highly cyclical semiconductor company historically prone to wild swings in sales and profits. However, there is massive expansion potential in the years ahead, thanks to self-driving technology.
7. General Motors
General Motors is a legacy automaker and one of the oldest around. Its brands, including Chevrolet, GMC, and Cadillac, are hardly a growth business. However, back in 2016, GM acquired Cruise, a leader in self-driving car technology. GM was hoping to see its Cruise Origin driverless taxi become fully operational by 2023.
NYSE: GM
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That was short-lived, as the Cruise unit suspended operations in October 2023 after a series of incidents. It returned its vehicles to public roads in May 2024. However, in December 2024, GM stopped funding its Cruise AV unit entirely, citing issues in the competitive robotaxi market, as well as the time and resources required to scale the business.
Although the Cruise unit is no longer operational, GM is focusing on developing driver-assist and autonomous systems for personal vehicles. These systems will also be designed to drive by themselves in certain situations. GM's focus on funneling its resources into advanced driver assistance systems could play an important role in the future of driverless technology.
8. Ford
Ford is another legacy automaker, but it, too, is making big bets on the future of transportation. Back in 2017, it pledged $1 billion in investment funding over a five-year stretch into start-up Argo AI (in which Volkswagen (VWAGY +0.08%) is also a top investor). Ford had been partnering with Argo to launch robotaxi and driverless delivery services for companies like Walmart (NYSE:WMT) in select cities.
NYSE: F
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However, in October 2022, Ford announced that it would shut down Argo AI and focus on driver-assist technology. Ford and Volkswagen may have determined that fully autonomous vehicles would not be profitable in the near term, while Argo had also struggled to attract new investors.
Ford is still actively working on developing autonomous driving technology, including hands-free driving systems and vehicles that can operate without human input in certain conditions.
Ford BlueCruise is a hands-free driving system for pre-mapped highways that uses cameras and sensors to ensure safe navigation. Ford's Latitude AI subsidiary also develops automated driving technology, including a hands-free, eyes-off driver assist system.
Pros and cons of investing in self-driving car stocks
There are some considerable advantages to investing in the future of autonomy by putting cash into self-driving car stocks:
- The self-driving car market is projected to expand significantly as technology matures and adoption increases.
- Early investors could see substantial returns if the market projections are realized and their chosen companies capture significant market share.
- Companies at the forefront of this industry are driving major technological advancements in areas like artificial intelligence, sensor technology, and software development.
- This innovation can lead to new revenue streams and applications beyond just consumer cars, such as logistics, robotics, and smart city infrastructure.
- Major players in the sector are not just car manufacturers; they include tech giants and sensor companies, so investors can target different parts of the AV value chain, from software to hardware.
There are also some cons to consider before you put cash to work, including:
- Uncertain timelines for widespread approval and potential legal liabilities in the event of accidents pose significant risks and could slow down deployment.
- The market is highly competitive, with established automakers, tech giants, and specialized start-ups all vying for dominance as hopeful long-term winners.
- The R&D costs are enormous, and many companies are still operating at a loss in this segment because of the significant capital investments required.
- Achieving Level 4 or Level 5 full autonomy is a massive technical challenge, and ensuring systems are safe and reliable in all weather and traffic conditions is an ongoing struggle.
- Any high-profile accidents could severely damage public trust and set back the entire industry.
Importantly, many pure-play self-driving car companies trade at high valuations based on future potential rather than current profits. If growth does not meet investor expectations, these stocks could experience significant volatility and price corrections. Investing in diversified businesses that offer exposure to the self-driving industry could be a prudent way to approach this space.
How to invest in self-driving car stocks
- Open your brokerage app: Log in to your brokerage account where you handle your investments.
- Search for the stock: Enter the ticker or company name into the search bar to bring up the stock's trading page.
- Decide how many shares to buy: Consider your investment goals and how much of your portfolio you want to allocate to this stock.
- Select order type: Choose between a market order to buy at the current price or a limit order to specify the maximum price you're willing to pay.
- Submit your order: Confirm the details and submit your buy order.
- Review your purchase: Check your portfolio to ensure your order was filled as expected and adjust your investment strategy accordingly
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Self-driving cars are a long-term trend
As with all emerging technologies, self-driving cars and related transportation tech will take many years to develop. Investing in individual stocks in the self-driving vehicle industry will be highly volatile, and there's no guarantee of success. Spread your bets across multiple companies and allow their growth story to play out over the long term as this industry rapidly changes and evolves.
Nevertheless, given the size of the global transportation sector and how integral mobility is to the economy, self-driving cars could be a massive secular growth trend. Consequently, this space is worth keeping tabs on.
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