Key Points
- Waymo is launching its robotaxi services in three new U.S. cities: San Diego, Las Vegas, and Detroit.
- This is part of Waymo’s ongoing aggressive expansion, which includes recent announcements for Miami and Washington, D.C.
- Waymo is also planning an international launch in London next spring. The company recently partnered with DoorDash for food deliveries in Phoenix.
- The autonomous taxi market is growing more competitive, with rivals like Tesla, Uber, and Lucid also expanding.
Waymo announced that it is bringing its robotaxi services to three new cities: San Diego, Las Vegas, and Detroit. This move is part of the company’s aggressive expansion plans for its driverless car service.
In a series of blog posts, the Alphabet-owned company said that Detroit residents will “soon” see Waymo vehicles on their streets. The cars will start by mapping out the service areas before opening up to the public. The timeline for San Diego was a bit less specific, with Waymo stating it has “plans to begin serving the city next year.”
In Las Vegas, Waymo’s service area will cover the famous Strip, and the company has plans to expand to the airport “eventually.” Waymo already operates in several major cities, including Los Angeles, Phoenix, San Francisco, Atlanta, and Austin. It also recently announced expansions into Miami and Washington, D.C.
Waymo isn’t just focused on the U.S.; it also has plans for international growth. The company aims to launch in London next spring, which coincides with the UK’s new Automated Vehicles Act of 2024. This act will allow autonomous vehicles to operate in the country for the first time. In another recent move, Waymo announced a partnership with DoorDash to handle food deliveries in Phoenix.
The market for autonomous taxis is becoming more competitive. Tesla’s Robotaxi service is expanding in Austin and San Francisco, and Uber and Lucid are set to launch their own autonomous taxi partnership in the Bay Area next year. This partnership will use the automaker’s Lucid Gravity SUV. Waymo’s rapid expansion into new cities, both in the U.S. and abroad, shows its determination to stay ahead in this quickly growing industry.
