Key Points
- Waymo is expanding its robotaxi service by 27 square miles in Silicon Valley, now including Mountain View, Los Altos, Palo Alto, and parts of Sunnyvale.
- Initially, only Waymo One app users in designated ZIP codes will have access.
- Waymo is in discussions with San Francisco International Airport about providing airport connections in the future.
- Waymo handles over 200,000 paid trips weekly but remains unprofitable under Alphabet’s “Other Bets” division.
Waymo, Alphabet’s self-driving technology subsidiary, announced on Tuesday that it is expanding its autonomous ride-hailing service by adding 27 square miles of coverage in the San Francisco Bay Area. This latest expansion will allow Waymo to serve passengers in Mountain View, Los Altos, Palo Alto, and parts of Sunnyvale, California.
Waymo first launched its robotaxi service in June to the general public in San Francisco. The company stated that, initially, access to the newly expanded service would be limited to users of the Waymo One app who are residents of the covered ZIP codes. Over time, Waymo plans to increase accessibility to a broader audience.
The vehicles operating in the newly covered areas will be fully electric Jaguar I-Pace models equipped with Waymo’s fifth-generation self-driving sensors, software, and technology. Saswat Panigrahi, Waymo’s Chief Product Officer, emphasized the significance of this milestone, stating, “Opening our fully autonomous ride-hailing service in Silicon Valley marks a special milestone in our Bay Area journey. This is where Waymo began and where we’re headquartered.”
This expansion follows Waymo’s previous rollout into Daly City, Broadmoor, and Colma last summer. However, its robotaxis does not yet provide San Francisco International Airport service. A Waymo spokesperson confirmed that the company is in active discussions with officials and is working towards providing seamless autonomous rides between Silicon Valley and San Francisco in the future.
Beyond California, Waymo recently launched a commercial robotaxi service in Austin, Texas, aligning with the city’s annual South by Southwest (SXSW) festival. The company continues to lead the U.S. autonomous vehicle industry, surpassing competitors such as Tesla and Amazon-owned Zoox, which are still in the testing phase.
Before this expansion, Waymo was already facilitating over 200,000 paid trips per week across San Francisco, Los Angeles, and Phoenix. While Alphabet does not disclose Waymo’s financial results separately, the “Other Bets” business segment, including Waymo, reported $400 million in revenue for Q4 2024 but also recorded operating losses of $1.17 billion.
