Waymo expands robotaxi service to 10 cities across the United States

Waymo is opening its robotaxi service to the public in Dallas, Houston, San Antonio, and Orlando, as the Alphabet-owned autonomous vehicle company accelerates its expansion across the United States.

Waymo’s rollout will follow the same playbook it has used in earlier public launches. Riders who have downloaded the Waymo app will begin receiving invitations to take their first trips starting Tuesday. New riders will be added on a rolling basis, and eventually, anyone who downloads the app will be able to request a ride.

Adding four more cities marks another major step in Waymo’s rapid growth. Last February, the company was operating commercial robotaxi services in Phoenix and some surrounding suburbs, as well as in parts of Los Angeles and San Francisco. At the time, Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai said Waymo was providing more than 200,000 rides per week.

Over the past 12 months, Waymo has expanded across its existing markets, especially in the San Francisco Bay Area, where its service region now stretches down Highway 101 through multiple towns all the way to San Jose. Waymo now has access to three airports, including San Francisco International Airport. It also launched a robotaxi service in partnership with Uber in Atlanta and Austin, expanded its operating domain to freeways in three cities, and last month opened its robotaxi service to the public in Miami.

Waymo rarely shares frequent ridership updates. The last time it provided a number, the company said it was delivering more than 400,000 rides per week, though the real figure is likely higher now.

The company is showing no signs of slowing its rollout. Waymo plans to launch robotaxi services in several additional cities this year, including Denver, London, and Washington, D.C., among others. It is also backed by a major infusion of capital, having raised an additional $16 billion in a round led by Dragoneer Investment Group, DST Global, and Sequoia Capital, valuing Waymo at $126 billion.

Waymo currently operates a fleet of around 3,000 robotaxis spread across six markets: Atlanta, Austin, Los Angeles, Miami, Phoenix, and the San Francisco Bay Area. That fleet is expected to grow as Waymo adds Dallas, Houston, San Antonio, and Orlando, although the company is not planning an immediate, dramatic expansion in vehicle count.

Waymo spokesperson Chris Bonelli said the company will launch with dozens of vehicles in each of the new cities and will scale up in coordination with rider demand over the coming months.

Waymo’s workforce is also expected to expand as the rollout proceeds. The employees who monitor robotaxis and respond to specific requests from the self-driving system — for example, when a vehicle encounters an unusual or complex road situation — may also increase, though Waymo declined to provide details. The company said it uses a detailed planning process to ensure staffing and operational support are appropriately sized as it grows. Waymo recently disclosed it employs about 70 of these workers, describing them as remote assistance workers, or RAs.

This expansion also ties into a major goal laid out by Waymo co-CEO Tekedra Mawakana last year — and one that remains in place even as Waymo faces increased scrutiny and safety investigations. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration opened an investigation after one of Waymo’s robotaxis last month struck a child travelling 6 miles per hour near a school in Santa Monica. The National Transportation Safety Board is also reviewing how Waymo robotaxis behave around school buses.

“Waymo is serving more riders than ever, as we are on track to serve over one million rides per week by the end of this year,” Mawakana said in a blog post Tuesday, adding that the company is laying the groundwork for robotaxi service in more than 20 cities.