Waymo expands its robotaxi service again, this time to parts of Silicon Valley

Core Insights - Waymo is expanding its robotaxi service to cover an additional 27 square miles in the San Francisco Bay Area, now including Mountain View, Los Altos, Palo Alto, and parts of Sunnyvale [1][2] - The service will initially be available to residents using the Waymo One app, with plans to increase rider access over time [3] - The fleet will consist of fully electric Jaguar I-Pace vehicles equipped with Waymo's fifth generation self-driving technology [3] Company Milestones - The launch of the autonomous ride-hailing service in Silicon Valley is a significant milestone for Waymo, marking its origins and headquarters location [4] - Waymo previously expanded its service to Daly City, Broadmoor, and Colma, but does not yet service San Francisco International Airport [4][5] Competitive Landscape - Waymo is currently leading the self-driving vehicle market in the U.S., with over 200,000 paid trips per week across San Francisco, Los Angeles, and Phoenix [6] - Competitors like Tesla and Amazon-owned Zoox are also testing their own robotaxi services, but Waymo has established a significant lead [6] Financial Performance - Waymo is part of Alphabet's "Other Bets" segment, which reported $400 million in revenue for Q4 2024, alongside operating losses of$1.17 billion [7]