Waymo Expands Driverless Robotaxis to 4 U.S. Cities as It Targets 1 Million Weekly Trips
Updated
Updated · CNBC · Jul 8
Waymo Expands Driverless Robotaxis to 4 U.S. Cities as It Targets 1 Million Weekly Trips
3 articles · Updated · CNBC · Jul 8
Summary
Four new markets—San Diego, Las Vegas, Tampa and Denver—will get Waymo driverless vehicles in coming weeks, with service starting for Alphabet employees before opening to the public.
The expansion extends Waymo’s lead in U.S. robotaxis, where it already operates in more than 10 cities and had about 4,000 vehicles in its domestic fleet as of May.
Tesla and Amazon-owned Zoox are also widening their footprints, with Zoox preparing public access in Austin and Miami later this year and Tesla moving beyond Austin into other parts of Texas and Miami.
Waymo is scaling despite operational setbacks: some cars entered flooded roads after extreme weather, and several vehicles in San Francisco were immobilized during July 4 traffic after their batteries ran down.
Backed by a $16 billion February fundraise, Waymo plans to enter London later this year after surpassing 20 million autonomous rides, aiming for 1 million weekly trips by year-end.
Waymo has firmly established itself as a leader in the autonomous vehicle industry, recently securing a $16 billion investment led by major firms and reaching a valuation of $126 billion. This financial boost is fueling Waymo’s ambitious plans to expand its commercial robotaxi service and conduct extensive road testing with safety drivers in over 20 cities throughout 2026. By tripling its ride volume to 15 million in 2025, Waymo is strengthening its lead over competitors like Amazon’s Zoox and Tesla’s robotaxi service. These strategic moves highlight Waymo’s rapid growth and its commitment to scaling safe, driverless transportation across the U.S. and beyond.