Waymo enters 3 more cities: Minneapolis, New Orleans and Tampa

Core Insights - Waymo is expanding its robotaxi service to three new cities: Minneapolis, New Orleans, and Tampa, with manual driving starting soon before testing driverless technology [1] - The company plans to launch commercial robotaxi services in these cities after validation [1][2] - Waymo's expansion includes a total of 13 cities by 2026, with international plans for London and Tokyo [3] Expansion Plans - Waymo is already operational in Los Angeles, San Francisco, Phoenix, Austin, and Atlanta [2] - Future expansions include Dallas, Denver, Detroit, Houston, Las Vegas, Miami, Nashville, Orlando, San Antonio, San Diego, Seattle, and Washington, D.C. by 2026 [3] Challenges - Unique challenges are anticipated in the new cities, such as harsh winters in Minneapolis affecting vehicle performance and tight, pedestrian-heavy streets in New Orleans [4] Partnerships - Waymo collaborates with various partners for fleet operations, including Uber in Austin and Atlanta, Moove in Phoenix and Miami, and Avis Budget Group in Dallas [5] - It remains unclear if similar partnerships will be established in the newly announced cities [5] Competitive Landscape - Waymo is leading in city expansions compared to competitors like Amazon-owned Zoox, which is still awaiting regulatory approval for full commercial operations [6]