Waymo robotaxis will be dispatched into 4 more major US cities, expanding its fleet to 10 top US markets, per a Wednesday announcement. Waymo, whose parent company is Alphabet (GOOGL), widens Waymo’s early lead in autonomous driving over rival Tesla (TSLA).
Waymo has started driverless robotaxi operation in 4 more US cities today: Dallas, Houston, San Antonio, and Orlando. Each of them is opening to “select riders,” which is how Waymo has traditionally rolled out its service. Usually, it starts testing with a single employee driving the car, then offers rides to employees, then starts service with select members of the public, and then gradually invites more people.
“Today, we continue our accelerated growth and welcome the first public riders into our fully autonomous ride-hailing service in four new cities: Dallas, Houston, San Antonio, and Orlando,” the robotaxi service said in a statement. “In addition to marking the first time we’ve opened to the public in multiple cities simultaneously, this brings our total commercial metro areas to 10, and deepens our commitment in the states of Texas and Florida.”
“Waymo is serving more riders than ever, as we are on track to serve over one million rides per week by the end of this year,” said Tekedra Mawakana, co-CEO of Waymo. “Dallas, Houston, San Antonio, and Orlando are critical to our plans, as we lay groundwork for service in 20+ cities. Each community has its own unique charm and transportation needs, and we’re eager to provide a safe, reliable, and magical way for locals and visitors to travel.”
Waymo ended last year having quadrupled the number of robotaxi trips it provided, delivering 15 million rides in a single year and surpassing 20 million lifetime rides. The rideshare company is one of Alphabet’s biggest revenue aids, which has spurred GOOGL stock higher.