Alphabet’s Waymo announced on Thursday that it is set to begin manual driving of its robotaxi vehicles in Minneapolis, Tampa, and New Orleans. The Google affiliate aims to conduct test drives in these cities with human drivers as a precursor to launching its driverless robotaxi service, which could be operational next year.
If Waymo successfully rolls out its services in these new markets next year, it would expand its planned 2026 operations to a total of 15 cities. Earlier this week, the company revealed its intentions to operate without human drivers soon in Dallas, Houston, San Antonio, Miami, and Orlando, with public services anticipated to commence next year. The firm has previously disclosed expansion plans to significant markets such as Detroit, Denver, Las Vegas, Nashville, San Diego, Washington D.C., and London by 2026.
Waymo’s spokesperson Ethan Teicher emphasized the company’s commitment to safety, stating that they will first validate their technology in Minneapolis, Tampa, and New Orleans prior to confirming any 2026 service launches. With an existing base of more than 250,000 weekly paid rides, Waymo currently offers its services in Austin, the San Francisco Bay Area, Phoenix, Atlanta, and Los Angeles, and has surpassed 10 million rides since its inception in 2020.
Recently, Waymo took a significant step by introducing freeway routes in San Francisco, Phoenix, and Los Angeles, indicating an important milestone given the complexities of operating vehicles at highway speeds. Looking ahead, the company is focused on expanding its reach to regions with harsher winter conditions, including the recently added Minneapolis, which is indicative of Waymo’s readiness to face challenging weather scenarios.
Additionally, Amazon-owned Zoox has begun allowing select users in San Francisco to hail its driverless vehicles, marking its second market after the Las Vegas launch. The firm plans to remove the rider waitlist for San Francisco entirely by 2026, signaling a broader shift towards more accessible autonomous ride-sharing.
The ambitious goals and ongoing developments in Waymo’s driverless technology reflect the broader progress in the autonomous vehicle industry, with a strong emphasis on safety and adaptability across diverse environments. As Waymo continues to expand its offerings, the anticipation surrounding the future of robotaxi services grows, presenting a hopeful outlook for the next phase in urban transportation.