Waymo stated Tuesday it can start providing robotaxi rides through the Waymo One app in Washington D.C. in 2026.
Before it may launch commercially, the corporate must up its lobbying sport within the capitol, the place autonomous automobile permits nonetheless require a human behind the wheel.
The information from Waymo comes because the Alphabet-owned firm aggressively expands its robotaxi protection to cement its lead forward of potential opponents like Amazon’s Zoox and Elon Musk’s Tesla. Musk stated Tesla will launch a robotaxi service in Austin this summer season and California in some unspecified time in the future this yr.
Waymo already operates a business service in Phoenix, Los Angeles, the Bay Area, and extra just lately Austin, in partnership with ride-hail agency Uber. Waymo additionally intends to launch a robotaxi service through Uber in Atlanta this yr, and has already begun ferrying staff in absolutely autonomous autos within the metropolis. Miami is subsequent on Waymo’s public launch record for 2026, alongside D.C.
To elevate much more enthusiasm and consciousness, Waymo has stated it plans to start mapping in 10 cities this yr, together with Las Vegas, San Diego, and, as of Monday, Nashville.
Waymo’s D.C. announcement comes two months after the corporate launched a small check fleet of its Jaguar I-Pace robotaxis within the metropolis, the place it’s been driving manually and testing autonomously with a security driver behind the wheel.
Waymo’s enterprise mannequin is contingent upon eradicating the human driver from the automobile. The firm stated it can work with policymakers to replace the district’s allowing guidelines to permit for absolutely autonomous autos to drive on public roads.
