If you live in Los Angeles, Phoenix, or San Francisco, you’ve probably already seen Waymo’s self-driving SUVs navigating the streets. But 2026 is the year these robotaxis will truly go mainstream. Waymo, owned by Alphabet, has set an ambitious goal to dominate the ride-hailing market.
Right now, Waymo completes about 250,000 trips every week. By the end of 2026, the company wants to quadruple that number to 1 million rides a week. To get there, they are launching an aggressive expansion into 20 new markets across the United States and abroad.
The company is moving fast in the South. By early 2026, Waymo expects to offer full service in Miami, Dallas, Houston, San Antonio, and Orlando. They also have their sights set on the West, with plans to roll out in Las Vegas and San Diego.
Expanding into the Northeast and Midwest brings new challenges, specifically snow and ice. Bad weather can block the sensors that these cars use to “see” the road. To stay safe, Waymo will start service in cities like Detroit, Philadelphia, Washington, D.C., and Baltimore with human safety drivers behind the wheel. These operators will sit in the driver’s seat and take control if the car struggles with winter conditions. Once the technology proves it can handle the slush, the company will switch to fully driverless rides.
Waymo is also going global. 2026 will mark its international debut in London. Meanwhile, testing is already underway in Tokyo and New York City. New York is a particularly tough environment due to heavy traffic and strict rules, so there is no official start date for that city yet.
Most riders recognize Waymo by the white Jaguar I-Pace SUVs equipped with spinning sensors on the roof. Since 2020, anyone in a service area can download an app and hail a ride. With 20 million trips already completed, Waymo is leading the driverless race. If 2026 goes as planned, seeing a car without a driver will soon become a common sight in cities everywhere.
