Autonomous vehicle technology is generally considered a can’t-miss long-term investment. Several companies have already launched fully autonomous vehicle services for the public in a handful of cities in the U.S. and abroad, and those services are growing and expanding rapidly.
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Investors who bet on early AV market leaders could be handsomely rewarded. However, the AV industry is wide open, and the technology is still a long way from perfection. Bank of America has listed AV technology as a key theme in the tech space. Here are some of the firm’s top AV technology stocks to buy in 2025:
| Stock | Upside Potential* |
| Nvidia Corp. (ticker: NVDA) | 39.6% |
| Alphabet Inc. (GOOG, GOOGL) | 25.2% |
| Tesla Inc. (TSLA) | 3.3% |
| Amazon.com Inc. (AMZN) | 14.1% |
| Uber Technologies Inc. (UBER) | 26.6% |
| General Motors Co. (GM) | 41.1% |
| Samsara Inc. (IOT) | -2.7% |
*Based on Nov. 25 closing price.
Nvidia Corp. (NVDA)
Nvidia is a semiconductor stock that develops graphics cards and mobile processors used in personal computers, wireless devices and workstations. Nvidia also offers a range of end-to-end AV solutions via its DRIVE platform, which includes both artificial intelligence infrastructure and in-vehicle AV hardware and software. Nvidia is a diversified play on AV technology, and analyst Vivek Arya says investors don’t fully appreciate the company’s wide range of growth opportunities, including in the high-end gaming, accelerated computing, enterprise graphics, data center and automotive markets. Bank of America has a “buy” rating and $190 price target for NVDA stock, which closed at $136.02 on Nov. 25.
Alphabet is the parent company of Google and YouTube and is a global leader in online advertising. Alphabet subsidiary Waymo already offers fully driverless rides in San Francisco, Phoenix, Austin and Los Angeles. Through mid-2024, Waymo had about 25 million rider-only miles driven, and its vehicles have been involved in 84% fewer crashes with airbag deployment compared to human drivers, according to the company. Analyst Justin Post says Google is a market leader in AI technology, and it will most certainly incorporate that AI in future Waymo fleets. Bank of America has a “buy” rating and $210 price target for GOOGL stock, which closed at $167.65 on Nov. 25.
Tesla Inc. (TSLA)
Electric vehicle market leader Tesla has launched what it calls a “full self-driving” feature and even unveiled an autonomous robotaxi model. Unfortunately for Tesla, what it has not yet done is create a fully autonomous vehicle or service. “Full self-driving” users must stay alert while the vehicle is in operation. Nevertheless, analyst John Murphy says Donald Trump’s election victory could open the door for Tesla to roll out its robotaxi business soon. Bank of America has a “buy” rating and $350 price target for TSLA stock, which closed at $338.59 on Nov. 25.
[READ: 7 Best Electric Vehicle ETFs to Buy]
Amazon.com Inc. (AMZN)
Amazon is the market leader in e-commerce and public cloud services. It is also the parent company of Zoox, which is currently operating driverless fleets in San Francisco, Las Vegas, Seattle, Austin and Miami in anticipation of a commercial launch as soon as 2025. At some point, Amazon may include all-you-can-ride Zoox trips as an upgrade option for Amazon Prime members. Analyst Justin Post says Amazon’s AWS cloud business is in the early innings of an AI boom, and automation could boost Amazon’s margins over time. Bank of America has a “buy” rating and $230 price target for AMZN stock, which closed at $201.45 on Nov. 25.
Uber Technologies Inc. (UBER)
Uber Technologies operates a leading ridesharing and delivery services platform. Uber has partnered with Waymo, Motional, Cruise and other AV market leaders to offer driverless Uber rides in cities such as Las Vegas and Phoenix, with plans to expand to Atlanta and Austin in 2025. In the long term, Post says Uber can look to rely more heavily on AV technology to help reduce its dependence on its large, expensive fleet of independently contracted drivers, a move that can reduce regulatory risks and labor costs. Bank of America has a “buy” rating and $93 price target for UBER stock, which closed at $73.42 on Nov. 25.
General Motors Co. (GM)
General Motors is the largest U.S. manufacturer of cars and trucks. GM subsidiary Cruise suspended its autonomous services in October 2023 after one of its vehicles dragged a pedestrian in San Francisco. Despite the major setback, Cruise has now resumed robotaxi testing with human safety drivers in Phoenix, Dallas and Houston. Murphy says GM is leading the legacy auto industry’s transition to an electric, autonomous future. He says EV sales growth and buybacks could drive up to 30% earnings per share growth in 2025. Bank of America has a “buy” rating and $85 price target for GM stock, which closed at $60.20 on Nov. 25.
Samsara Inc. (IOT)
Samsara provides video-based safety and vehicle telematics solutions, including GPS and sensors to monitor location, fuel use, speed and other factors. Analyst Matt Bullock says Samsara’s fleet-focused products and services are best-in-class, and its unique subscription model has it positioned to maintain 20%-plus revenue growth. In addition, Bullock says Samsara can further penetrate existing customers’ fleets, particularly customers operating in industries with razor-thin margins who are looking to maximize efficiency. Finally, Samsara’s massive trove of data provides valuable insights for customers and aids in innovation. Bank of America has a “buy” rating and $54 price target for IOT stock, which closed at $55.50 on Nov. 25.
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Top 7 Autonomous Vehicle Stocks to Buy Now originally appeared on usnews.com
Update 11/26/24: This story was published at an earlier date and has been updated with new information.
