Waymo to Add 2,000 More Jaguar I-PACE Robotaxis by 2026 Amid Major Expansion

Waymo, Alphabet's autonomous driving subsidiary, is significantly expanding its robotaxi fleet, with plans to add over 2,000 more Jaguar I-PACE electric vehicles by the end of 2026. This expansion aims to meet growing demand and support the company's planned service launches in new major U.S. cities, underscoring Waymo's continued operational presence in its current service areas.

The company currently operates approximately 1,500 Jaguar I-PACE vehicles across its active service regions, including San Francisco, Los Angeles, Phoenix, and Austin. Waymo recently received its final delivery of I-PACE vehicles from Jaguar and will retrofit these cars with its autonomous technology at a new manufacturing facility, bringing Waymo's I-PACE fleet to a total of around 3,500 vehicles.

To facilitate this growth, Waymo has partnered with Magna International to operate a 239,000-square-foot autonomous vehicle factory in Mesa, Arizona. This facility is responsible for integrating Waymo's self-driving technology, the "Waymo Driver," into the Jaguar I-PACE chassis. The factory's flexible design will also allow for the integration of the 6th-generation Waymo Driver onto new vehicle platforms, such as the Zeekr RT and Hyundai Ioniq 5, with a long-term capacity to produce tens of thousands of autonomous vehicles annually.

Waymo One currently provides over 250,000 paid trips weekly across its existing markets. The company is poised for further geographic expansion, with plans to launch fully autonomous ride-hailing services in Atlanta, Miami, and Washington D.C. starting in 2026. This aggressive rollout strategy positions Waymo to solidify its leadership in the commercial self-driving sector.

The consistent presence of these vehicles is increasingly noticeable in operational areas. As Maxwell Meyer recently observed in a tweet,

"the frequency of Waymos rolling by my house has not slowed down at all. On the porch, I hear the distinct hum of the Jaguar EVs as they slow toward the intersection. The sounds of the future." This sentiment reflects the increasing integration of Waymo's autonomous vehicles into daily urban life.