Waymo Launches Driverless Rides In San Diego, Las Vegas, Tampa And Denver
Alphabets Waymo is starting rider-only autonomous trips in San Diego, Las Vegas, Tampa and Denver for its own employees, using the sixth-generation Ojai robotaxi before opening the service to the public in the coming months.
Key Takeaways
Waymo will begin fully driverless robotaxi rides in San Diego, Las Vegas, Tampa and Denver in the coming weeks, initially limited to Waymo and Alphabet employees, with public launches later this year.
The expansion adds to more than 10 metro areas where Waymo already offers paid public rides, and its fleet stood at roughly 4,000 robotaxis as of May.
Denver will be among the first markets to use the sixth-generation Ojai vehicle, a Zeekr-based SUV trained on winter data from the Sierra Nevada, Michigan and New York to handle snow, slush and hail.
Waymo's published expansion pipeline now exceeds 21 additional cities, including Boston, Chicago, New York and Seattle.
The move extends Waymo's lead over Tesla, whose Miami launch is its first unsupervised operation outside Texas, and Amazon's Zoox, which offers free public rides in San Francisco and Las Vegas.
Kaan Tınmaz
Waymo, the autonomous vehicle unit of Alphabet, said Wednesday it will begin fully driverless robotaxi operations in San Diego, Las Vegas, Tampa and Denver in the coming weeks. The initial rider-only trips will be restricted to Waymo and Alphabet employees, with a public launch to follow later this year in each market.
Rider-Only Trips For Employees First
The four-city expansion adds new territory to a footprint that already includes more than 10 metro areas where Waymo offers paid public rides, among them Atlanta, Austin, Dallas, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, Nashville, Orlando, Phoenix, San Antonio and the San Francisco Bay Area. As of May, Waymos U.S. fleet stood at roughly 4,000 robotaxis using the companys fifth- and sixth-generation driving systems.
Ojai Takes On Cold-Weather Streets
Denver is a milestone for the company because it is one of the first Waymo markets that will use the new Ojai vehicle, a spacious blue SUV built on Chinese partner Zeekrs platform and equipped with the sixth-generation Waymo Driver. Waymo says the driver has been trained on winter data collected across the Sierra Nevada, Michigan and New York, and pairs self-cleaning cameras with lidar and radar so the fleet can operate in snow, slush and hail.
Waymo said in a blog post that the four new markets are its last checkpoint before public availability, and that residents can sign up in the Waymo app to be notified when service opens. The company continues to expand its lead over Tesla, whose Miami robotaxi launch is its first fully unsupervised operation outside Texas, and Amazons Zoox, which now runs free public rides in San Francisco and Las Vegas. Waymo touts safety data suggesting its cars are less crash-prone than human drivers, though it has faced recent recalls and operating pauses.
Reporting based on coverage from CNBC, the Denver Gazette and Fox 5 Vegas.
When can the public ride Waymo in San Diego, Las Vegas, Tampa and Denver?
Waymo says public service will open later this year in each market, after an initial employee-only phase. Residents can sign up in the Waymo app to be notified when rides become available.
What is the Waymo Ojai?
The Ojai is Waymo's sixth-generation robotaxi, a spacious blue SUV built on Chinese partner Zeekr's platform. It uses the sixth-generation Waymo Driver with self-cleaning cameras, lidar and radar, and was trained on winter data so it can operate in snow, slush and hail.
Why is the Denver launch significant for Waymo?
Denver is one of the first Waymo markets to use the new Ojai vehicle and tests the company's ability to operate driverless rides in cold-weather conditions like snow, slush and hail.
How does Waymo compare to competitors like Tesla and Zoox?
Waymo operates paid public rides in more than 10 metro areas with roughly 4,000 robotaxis, while Tesla's Miami launch is its first fully unsupervised operation outside Texas and Amazon's Zoox runs free public rides in San Francisco and Las Vegas.
