In a landmark week for the autonomous vehicle industry, Apple Inc., Alphabet Inc., and Tesla Inc. have been making waves with their respective actions. Apple has officially announced its exit from the self-driving car race, while Alphabet's Waymo and Tesla's robotaxis continue to make significant strides in the sector.

Apple's interest in autonomous vehicles had been shrouded in secrecy, but the tech giant had dropped hints through strategic executive hires and the acquisition of self-driving startup, Drive.ai, in 2019. CEO Tim Cook spoke about the company's focus on autonomous systems and their belief that it was a challenging AI project. However, Apple recently halted its self-driving car project and laid off 600 employees, effectively signaling the end of its efforts in this area.

Meanwhile, Alphabet's Waymo has emerged as a leader in self-driving technology. CEO Sundar Pichai expressed optimism about the progress they have made and expect to continue making in the near future. Waymo introduced its first autonomous vehicle in Phoenix back in 2015 and has since expanded to San Francisco. With plans to reach Los Angeles and Austin, Texas, Waymo has also partnered with Uber to provide autonomous rides and food delivery services in Phoenix.

On the other hand, Tesla CEO Elon Musk has been vocal about the company's ambitions in the autonomous vehicle space. Musk announced on X that Tesla's robotaxis will be unveiled in August. While the company did not meet its goal of having over a million fully autonomous Tesla cars on the road by now, it does offer advanced driver assistance systems with Autopilot and a premium full self-driving option.

The competition in the autonomous vehicle industry is fierce, with Alphabet's Waymo leading the pack and Tesla making significant strides to catch up. With Apple's exit, the stage is set for intense rivalry between Alphabet and Tesla as they continue to innovate and advance in this rapidly evolving sector.

As the race for autonomous vehicles gains momentum, it remains to be seen who will ultimately dominate this emerging market. With Waymo expanding its presence and Tesla's robotaxis set to make their debut, the future of self-driving cars is certainly becoming more tangible than ever before.