Waymo, the company behind driverless cars, just announced big plans to bring its robotaxi service to three new US cities. Soon, you’ll see Waymo vehicles cruising around San Diego, Las Vegas, and Detroit. This move shows Waymo’s strong push to expand its service nationwide.
In recent blog posts, Waymo, which is part of Google’s parent company Alphabet, shared some details. Detroit residents can expect to see Waymo cars on their streets “soon.” These vehicles will spend time mapping out the best routes and service areas before the public can actually hail a ride. For San Diego, Waymo gave a slightly less specific timeline, saying they “plan to start serving the city next year.”
In Las Vegas, Waymo’s service will cover popular spots like the famous Strip right away. They also aim to expand to the airport “eventually,” making it even easier for travelers to get around. Right now, Waymo already operates in major cities like Los Angeles, Phoenix, San Francisco, Atlanta, and Austin. They also recently announced new plans to launch in Miami and Washington, DC.
Waymo isn’t just thinking about the US; they’re looking overseas too. They plan to launch in London next spring. This international jump comes as the UK’s new Automated Vehicles Act of 2024 begins allowing self-driving cars on its roads. The company also recently teamed up with DoorDash to deliver food in Phoenix using its autonomous vehicles.
The world of self-driving taxis is getting busy. Tesla’s Robotaxi service is growing in Austin and San Francisco. Also, Uber and Lucid will partner up next year to launch an autonomous taxi service in the Bay Area, using Lucid’s Gravity SUV. This means more options for people who want to try out driverless rides.
