Waymo's Robotaxis Hit New Cities: What You Need to Know About Its Expansion into Las Vegas, San Diego, and Detroit

Self-driving vehicles are progressively transitioning from the realm of science fiction into everyday reality, largely thanks to companies likeWaymo, the autonomous driving division of Google's parent company, Alphabet, as it extends its services into new territories.

This past Monday, Waymo announced its plans to introduce its ride-hailing service to three additional major cities:Las Vegas,San Diego, andDetroit. For this expansion, Waymo will deploy both its establishedJaguar I-Pacefleet, already operational in several cities, alongside its newerZeekr RTvehicles. The Zeekr RT models come equipped with Waymo's cutting-edge sixth-generation self-driving technology. The company anticipates opening these new services to public riders starting next year.

Where Waymo Currently Operates Robotaxi Services

Currently, Waymo offers fully autonomous rides to the general public inPhoenix,San Francisco,Los Angeles,Atlanta, andAustin, Texas. These services primarily utilize the all-electricJaguar I-Pacevehicles. Depending on the city, customers can summon these vehicles either through theWaymo appor viaUber.

Waymo's expansion efforts have seen a significant acceleration in recent months. Cities likeNashville,New York,Denver, andSeattlehave also been added to the growing list of upcoming robotaxi locations. In a blog post dated August 29, Waymo stated it was "entering a new chapter and accelerating our commercial expansion."

Last month, Waymo also revealed its move intoLondon, marking the city as its inaugural European location. Initially, vehicles will operate on London's roads with human safety drivers "while we lay the groundwork for fully autonomous operations," according to a company statement. Waymo intends to scale up its operations based on guidelines from the UK Department for Transport and Transport for London, collaborating with local and national authorities to secure the necessary permits for offering fully autonomous rides by2026. London is Waymo's second international city, following its announcement last year to expand toTokyo, although passenger rides are not yet available there.

Waymo's Manufacturing and Fleet Growth

Waymo's expansion isn't limited to new service areas; it also extends to its manufacturing capabilities. In May, the company announced the opening of a new,239,000-square-foot autonomous vehicle factory in the Phoenix area. This facility aims to boost its fleet by adding2,000 more fully autonomous Jaguar I-Pace vehiclesto its existing 1,500-vehicle fleet. Notably, Waymo indicated that it received its "final delivery from Jaguar" earlier this year as it prepares for future iterations of its driverless services. The company highlighted the "flexible design" of the new facility, which will enable it to integrate its forthcomingsixth-generation self-driving technologyinto new vehicles, starting with the all-electricZeekr RT.

In October of last year, Waymo also announced a partnership withHyundaito incorporate the next generation of its technology intoIoniq 5 SUVs. In the coming years, passengers will be able to summon these all-electric, autonomous vehicles using theWaymo app. Furthermore, in April, Waymo confirmed a preliminary agreement withToyotato "explore a collaboration" focused on developing autonomous driving technology, which could eventually be integrated into personally owned vehicles.

Milestones, Challenges, and Safety

The self-driving company reports having driven over100 million fully autonomous mileson public roads and completing more than10 million paid rides. From personal experience, summoning several rides in San Francisco initially felt unusual, especially observing the steering wheel move independently, but I quickly adapted, and it soon felt like a normal ride.

However, Waymo's expansion hasn't been without its obstacles. The company's vehicles have been involved in a few high-profile incidents, includingone with a bicyclist in San Franciscoandanother with a towed pickup truck in Phoenix. In response to these, Waymorecalled and updated its softwareto address the underlying issues.

Waymo'sSafety Impact report, which analyzed over 71 million autonomous miles driven through March 2025, indicates that itsWaymo Driver technologyresulted in88% fewer crashes leading to serious injuries or worse, and78% fewer injury-causing crashes, when compared to an average human driver covering the same distance in its operating cities. The report also highlighted significantly fewer crashes involving injuries to pedestrians (93% reduction), cyclists (81% reduction), and motorcyclists (86% reduction).

How to Hail a Robotaxi in Current Waymo Cities

As Waymo continues its development and expansion, here's how and where you can summon a robotaxi if you're in one of its current service areas:

Phoenix

San Francisco

Los Angeles

Austin

Atlanta

Upcoming Waymo Expansion Cities

Las Vegas

San Diego

Detroit

London (Europe)

Nashville

Denver

Seattle

Dallas

New York

Philadelphia

Washington, D.C.

Miami

Tokyo (International)

Advancements in Waymo's Technology

The Sixth-Generation Waymo Driver

In August 2024, Waymo unveiled thesixth generation of its self-driving technology, designed to enhance the capabilities of its driverless fleet. This iteration features smarter sensors aimed at improving the cars' navigation in extreme weather conditions. Thesixth-gen Driverwill be integrated into the all-electricZeekr vehicle, which boasts a flat floor, increased head and legroom, adjustable seats, and removable steering wheel and pedals. While still undergoing testing, the company expects this updated technology to be available to riders soon.

Hyundai Ioniq 5 Partnership

In October, Waymo also announced a partnership withHyundaito integrate itssixth-generation Driverinto the all-electricIoniq 5 SUV. According to a blog post, these vehicles "will be added to the Waymo One fleet over time." Both companies plan to "produce a fleet of Ioniq 5s equipped with Waymo's technology in significant volume over multiple years to support Waymo One's growing scale." Testing of these vehicles is scheduled to commence by late2025, with availability for riders anticipated "in the years to follow."

Future Capabilities and Ventures

Freeway Driving

Currently, everyday riders cannot utilize Waymo vehicles on highways and freeways, but this may soon change. The company is actively testing fully autonomous rides onfreeways in Phoenix, as showcased in anexclusive video shared with CNET in May 2024. Additionally, fully autonomous freeway rides are now accessible to Waymo employees inLos Angelesand theSan Francisco Bay Area.

Autonomous Trucking

While Waymo has also been developing its autonomous driving technology for trucking, it announced in2023that it would bescaling back these effortstemporarily to concentrate on its ride-hailing service,Waymo One. The company noted, "Our ongoing investment in advancing Waymo Driver capabilities, especially on freeways, will directly translate to trucking and benefit its development efforts."