Waymo Announces Major Robotaxi Expansion to San Diego, Detroit, and Las Vegas, Targeting 1 Million Weekly Trips

Waymo, the autonomous driving technology company and subsidiary of Alphabet, announced a significant expansion of its robotaxi services to San Diego, Detroit, and Las Vegas. The announcement, initially shared by "reed" on social media, marks the company's largest geographic expansion to date, with launches planned for the upcoming year. This move aligns with Waymo's strategic goal to scale its operations and increase its market presence across the United States.

The rollout will see Waymo introduce a mixed fleet of all-electric Jaguar I-PACE vehicles alongside new Zeekr RT models, specifically designed for robotaxi use cases. While Waymo vehicles are expected to begin mapping and testing in Detroit soon, the company aims to launch services in Las Vegas by next summer, with San Diego also slated for service in the coming year. Waymo typically employs a phased approach, starting with supervised testing before opening services to the public.

This aggressive expansion reflects Waymo's transition from a technology developer to a commercial enterprise. Waymo co-CEO Tekedra Mawakana recently stated the company's ambitious target of providing "1 million trips per week" by the end of 2026. The company currently operates commercial services in Phoenix, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Atlanta, and Austin, and has also announced plans for international expansion to London in 2026.

Waymo has prior experience testing in these new markets, including an engineering team based in Detroit. The company has conducted extensive winter-weather testing in Michigan's Upper Peninsula, preparing its autonomous vehicles for challenging conditions. Local officials have expressed support for the initiative, with Las Vegas Mayor Shelley Berkley noting the introduction of Waymo as "a proven, safe, new alternative" for transportation.

The robotaxi market is becoming increasingly competitive, with other players like Amazon's Zoox operating free robotaxi services in Las Vegas and Tesla expanding its robotaxi offerings in Austin and San Francisco. Waymo's rapid expansion is attributed to the generalized approach of its self-driving system, which aims to solidify its position as a dominant force in the evolving autonomous vehicle industry.