Waymo Rolls Out Driverless Rides in Miami for 2026 Launch
▼ Summary
– Waymo is removing safety operators from its Miami robotaxi fleet and expanding fully autonomous employee rides to Dallas, Houston, San Antonio, and Orlando.
– The company recently launched paid robotaxi rides on highways in Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Phoenix, and expanded to Atlanta and Austin with partners like Uber.
– Waymo faces competition from Amazon-owned Zoox, which is launching free robotaxi rides in San Francisco, and Tesla, which is testing in Austin with safety operators still present.
– Waymo plans to expand to Detroit, Las Vegas, San Diego, Nashville, and London by 2026, aiming for 1 million weekly trips by the end of that year.
– The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is investigating Waymo’s technology after an incident in Atlanta where a vehicle turned in front of a stopped school bus.
Waymo has officially begun operating its fully driverless robotaxi service in Miami, marking a significant step toward its planned commercial launch in 2026. This move represents the latest in a series of strategic expansions this year, as the company continues to grow its presence across the United States. In a recent announcement, Waymo confirmed it will start providing autonomous rides to employees in Miami, with plans to extend the same service to Dallas, Houston, San Antonio, and Orlando in the coming weeks.
The timing of this rollout follows closely on the heels of another major achievement: Waymo now offers paid autonomous rides on highways in Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Phoenix. This year has also seen the company enter new markets like Atlanta and Austin, partnering with well-known companies such as Uber and launching a corporate travel program.
Waymo is not alone in the race to scale robotaxi services nationwide. Zoox, owned by Amazon, revealed earlier this week that it will begin offering complimentary rides in its specially designed autonomous vehicles to early program participants in San Francisco, following a similar initiative launched in Las Vegas last September. Meanwhile, Tesla has been testing its own service in Austin for several months. Although CEO Elon Musk previously projected that Tesla’s robotaxi service would be available across half the country by late 2025, the company’s vehicles still require safety operators behind the wheel.
Facing growing competition, Waymo appears confident in its approach. The company emphasized in a blog post that it has not only developed advanced technology but has also created what it calls “the definitive playbook” for managing autonomous fleets across multiple locations, supported by industry-leading rider assistance systems.
Looking ahead to 2026, Waymo has ambitious expansion goals. In addition to the five cities already mentioned, the company intends to launch services in Detroit, Las Vegas, San Diego, Nashville, and London. Testing is also underway in New York City, where Waymo holds a permit to continue operations through the end of the year. Co-CEO Tekedra Mawakana stated at a recent industry event that the company aims to be providing one million weekly trips by the close of 2026.
Despite its rapid growth, Waymo’s progress has not been without challenges. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is currently investigating the company’s technology after an incident in Atlanta where one of its vehicles was recorded making a turn in front of a stationary school bus.
(Source: TechCrunch)
