The "Robotaxi Commercialization Competition" has kicked off, and Waymo has set its "KPI for this year": 1 million orders per week in the U.S. market!
Waymo's expansion speed has significantly accelerated, planning to expand testing and launch new commercial services in 20 cities in the U.S. and international markets this year. In some cases, Waymo can complete the entire process from city mapping to paid rides in just a few months. The company currently provides paid autonomous ride-hailing services in about six cities in the U.S. through its own app and in partnership with Uber, offering approximately 400,000 paid rides per week, with ride numbers tripling last year
Waymo, the autonomous driving company under Alphabet, aims to achieve over 1 million paid robotaxi rides per week in the U.S. market by the end of 2026, marking a new phase in the commercialization of autonomous driving.
Co-CEO Tekedra Mawakana stated in an interview with Bloomberg Television on Wednesday that this is a "turning point moment." Waymo plans to expand testing and launch new commercial services in 20 cities in the U.S. and internationally this year.
The company currently provides fully driverless paid ride services in about six cities in the U.S. through its own app and in partnership with Uber, offering approximately 400,000 paid rides per week. Waymo's ride count is expected to triple by 2025.
This expansion plan is strongly supported by the capital markets. Earlier this month, Waymo raised $16 billion at a valuation of $126 billion, led by new investors such as Sequoia Capital, DST Global, and Dragoneer Investment Group. According to Bloomberg, the parent company Alphabet contributed $13 billion.
Mawakana stated that investor support reflects Waymo's success in proving the technology's feasibility, "Consumers are accepting it, safety has been validated, and now is an exciting time to join the team."
Aggressive Expansion: From Mapping to Commercial Operations in Months
Waymo's expansion pace has significantly accelerated this year. Earlier this week, the company began fully autonomous operations in Nashville and plans to officially launch commercial services with Lyft later this year. Waymo also expects to start services in Washington, Detroit, Las Vegas, San Diego, and Denver within 2026.
Mawakana revealed that in some cases, Waymo can complete the entire process from city mapping to paid rides in just a few months. However, in other cases, progress can be much slower, especially in cities or states lacking robotaxi regulatory frameworks.
The New York market is a typical example. Waymo has obtained permission to conduct supervised testing in New York City, but there are currently no regulations for fully autonomous driving services in the city. Mawakana noted that New York State may offer more immediate opportunities outside of New York City, "There is interest in advancing this business within the state, which provides us with growth opportunities."
Fleet Upgrade: From Jaguar to ZEEKR and Hyundai
Waymo's fleet primarily consists of electric Jaguar I-Pace vehicles, which have now reached the fifth generation, with the company adding sensors and other technologies to these vehicles in the U.S. To support its expansion, Waymo is diversifying its fleet composition.
The company has reached a cooperation agreement with ZEEKR, a subsidiary of Geely Automobile, to launch four-seat small cargo robotaxis, which are currently in testing. Waymo will also expand its fleet with electric vehicles from Hyundai.
Mawakana stated that the company is working to improve cost efficiency while expanding the robotaxi fleet size. Waymo is the leading provider of paid autonomous driving services in the U.S., but it faces a number of well-funded competitors closing in
Safety Controversy: Regulatory Investigation and Technical Fixes
The safety of Waymo vehicles has recently come into focus. Last month, U.S. regulators launched an investigation into an incident where a Waymo vehicle collided at low speed with a child near a school in Santa Monica, California. Waymo stated that its safety system detected the child, and the vehicle responded by emergency braking, reducing its speed from 17 miles per hour to about 6 miles per hour before the collision.
Mawakana stated that Waymo is cooperating with the investigation into the Santa Monica incident. The company determined that "human drivers are unable to perform at the level of our superhuman driving system."
A week earlier, on January 23, automotive safety investigators reported that they were investigating a series of incidents involving improper driving by Waymo vehicles around a school bus parked near Austin. Mawakana stated, "We have addressed this situation through a software update," but she added that this does not equate to a complete fix, as each scenario involving the school bus is different
