Waymo Expands Its Robotaxi Fleet to Las Vegas, San Diego and Detroit. Everything to Know

Core Insights - Waymo is expanding its autonomous ride-hailing service to three new cities: Las Vegas, San Diego, and Detroit, with plans to open to public riders in 2026 [2][26][29]. Expansion Plans - Waymo is currently operating fully autonomous rides in Phoenix, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Atlanta, and Austin, utilizing the all-electric Jaguar I-Pace [3][19][20]. - The company has ramped up its expansion efforts, with Nashville, New York, Denver, and Seattle also on the list for future robotaxi services [4][31][33]. International Expansion - Waymo is entering London as its first European location, starting with human drivers before transitioning to fully autonomous operations by 2026 [4][30]. - The company has also announced plans to expand to Tokyo, where it is currently testing with human drivers [43][44]. Manufacturing and Technology Development - Waymo is opening a new 239,000-square-foot autonomous vehicle factory in Phoenix to increase its fleet from 1,500 to 3,500 Jaguar I-Pace vehicles [6]. - The company is collaborating with Hyundai to integrate its sixth-generation self-driving technology into the Ioniq 5 SUVs, with plans for significant production over the coming years [7][48]. Safety and Performance Metrics - Waymo has driven over 100 million fully autonomous miles and provided more than 10 million paid rides, reporting significantly fewer crashes compared to average human drivers [8][9]. - The Waymo Driver technology has shown an 88% reduction in serious injury crashes and a 78% reduction in injury-causing crashes over 71 million miles driven [9]. Future Vehicle Capabilities - The sixth generation of Waymo's self-driving technology aims to enhance performance in extreme weather conditions and will debut in the all-electric Zeekr RT vehicle [46][47]. - The company is also testing fully autonomous rides on freeways, with plans to expand this capability to everyday riders in the future [48][49].