Waymo, Alphabet’s autonomous vehicle division, is expanding its reach both in the U.S. and abroad. Initially launched in 2009 as Google’s “Project Chauffeur,” the robotaxi service currently operates in Phoenix, San Francisco, and Los Angeles.
In 2025, Waymo aims to roll out services in Austin, Texas, and Atlanta.
Waymo has revealed Tokyo as its first international testing location. It will collaborate with Japan’s GO app and leading taxi operator Nihon Kotsu, and trials are scheduled to start in early 2025.
In the U.S., Waymo has emerged as the market leader, surpassing Cruise, though domestic rivals like Tesla, led by Elon Musk, and Amazon-owned Zoox are striving to close the gap.
Waymo’s robotaxi service now operates across Phoenix, San Francisco, and Los Angeles, spanning over 500 square miles of public roads.
In June, the company removed its restricted access in San Francisco, making its Waymo One app available to all residents and enabling them to book rides. This public launch demonstrated to riders and the company itself that its autonomous fleet could effectively navigate the complexities of urban traffic.
In July, Alphabet’s former CFO, Ruth Porat, announced during an earnings call that Google’s parent company had committed to a multiyear investment in Waymo totaling $5.6 billion, with $5 billion directly funded by Alphabet.
During a November all-hands meeting, Waymo’s co-CEOs, Tekedra Mawakana and Dmitri Dolgov, encouraged employees to focus on scaling operations aggressively while maintaining safety as their top priority.
In 2025, Waymo is prioritizing expanding its robotaxi service to additional cities, enhancing rider adoption, and advancing technology development to enable its autonomous vehicles to operate in a wider range of weather and traffic conditions.
The company plans to roll out commercial services in Austin, Texas, and Atlanta next year, with rides bookable through the Uber app. Testing has also begun in Miami, with public rides expected to launch there in 2026.
Earlier this month, Waymo announced Tokyo as its first international testing location. The company has partnered with the GO taxi app and Nihon Kotsu, one of Japan’s largest taxi operators, with testing scheduled for early 2025.
In August, Waymo unveiled its next generation of self-driving vehicles, developed in collaboration with Chinese automaker Geely. The new robotaxi, based on Geely’s Zeekr electric SUVs, incorporates Waymo’s custom hardware and software. It features a streamlined design that reduces the number of cameras from 29 to 13 and lidar sensors from five to four.
In October, Waymo announced a partnership with Hyundai to integrate its autonomous technology into the automaker’s Ioniq 5 SUV. By late 2025, Waymo and Hyundai plan to begin testing the Waymo-enabled Ioniq 5.
Waymo conducts testing and validation drives in Detroit, Buffalo, New York, and at a test track in Columbus, Ohio. These trials, involving both Jaguar I-Pace and Geely Zeekr vehicles, aim to assess the performance of Waymo’s systems in varying traffic and weather conditions.
With its aggressive expansion plans and strategic partnerships, Waymo is positioning itself as a global pioneer in autonomous ride-hailing, aiming to redefine the future of transportation.
