Waymo Launches Robotaxi Service at San Antonio Airport
▼ Summary
– Waymo launched robotaxi service at San Antonio International Airport, its fourth airport and first in Texas, with curbside drop-offs and designated ride-share pickups.
– The company is expanding cautiously using an invitation-based system in cities like San Antonio, where tens of thousands are on a waitlist, despite plans to launch in around 20 new cities this year.
– Waymo’s robotaxis are under investigation by safety agencies for incidents involving school buses and a low-speed crash with a child, despite company data claiming they are safer than human drivers.
– The service operates in 10 cities, completes over 500,000 paid rides weekly, and plans to introduce a new Zeekr-built vehicle called the Ojai this year.
– Waymo employs remote assistance staff in the U.S. and Philippines to guide vehicles and has roadside assistance teams for when robotaxis get stuck.
Waymo has expanded its autonomous ride-hailing service to a fourth airport, initiating robotaxi operations at San Antonio International Airport. The company’s vehicles will now provide curbside drop-offs at the terminals and pick up passengers from the airport’s designated ride-share zone. This marks the company’s first airport service in Texas, where it currently operates in San Antonio, Austin, Dallas, and Houston. Waymo has offered airport service at Phoenix Sky Harbor International for several years and began servicing San Francisco and San Jose Mineta International airports in recent months.
The launch in San Antonio follows the service’s initial debut there in February. Access remains limited, as the company is using an invitation-based system it is scaling gradually, a strategy also employed in Dallas, Houston, and Orlando. Waymo stated this week that its San Antonio waitlist has grown to tens of thousands of people and that it plans to open the service to all public riders soon.
This phased rollout reflects a note of caution during a period of otherwise rapid growth. Waymo has announced ambitions to launch in approximately 20 new cities this year, including Tokyo and London. Its service is currently active in 10 cities, completing over 500,000 paid rides weekly, roughly double the volume from the same period last year. The company also expects to begin offering rides in its new Zeekr-built van, the Ojai, later this year.
Waymo frequently cites data indicating its autonomous vehicles are safer than human drivers and help reduce serious crashes. However, its expansion continues to encounter new challenges. Regulatory bodies, including the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board, are investigating incidents where Waymo vehicles illegally passed school buses loading or unloading children. The company has issued software updates to address the issue and is working with officials in Austin, where most such incidents have occurred, to improve vehicle behavior around buses.
The NTSB and NHTSA are also probing an incident where a Waymo robotaxi struck a child at low speed in Santa Monica. The child sustained minor injuries. Waymo reported its vehicle slowed from 17 miles per hour to 6 miles per hour before impact.
As operations grow, more details are emerging about the support structure behind the technology. Waymo employs dozens of remote assistance staff based in the U. S. and the Philippines to guide vehicles through complex or unforeseen situations. For rare instances where a vehicle becomes immobilized, the company relies on a roadside assistance team and local first responders to resolve the issue.
(Source: TechCrunch)
