Waymo Eyes Expansion Of Autonomous Rides To Users In Miami By 2026

Alphabet Inc. GOOG GOOGL subsidiary Waymo said on Thursday that it is looking to open autonomous rides to people in Miami, Florida in 2026.

What Happened: The company said that it would introduce its vehicle to streets in Miami early next year and launch ride-hail services to riders starting in 2026 via the Waymo One app.

The company has entered into a partnership with Moove, who will take on management of its fleet operations, facilities, and charging infrastructure in Phoenix first and Miami later. However, Waymo will continue to be responsible for the validation and operation of its autonomous driving technology.

Waymo currently operates in Phoenix, Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Austin. Last month, the company opened autonomous rides to everyone in Los Angeles, dropping the need for interested riders to join a waitlist. The company is now providing over 150,000 rides every week to the public.

Why It Matters: In October, Waymo closed an oversubscribed investment round of $5.6 billion led by its parent Alphabet to expand its robotaxi service.

Waymo is currently the frontrunner in the field of autonomous vehicles in the U.S. While General Motors’ Cruise was at par with Waymo until last year, it suspended all of its operations in the U.S. late last year following the involvement of one of its robotaxis in an accident in San Francisco, leading to heightened regulatory scrutiny and the exit of its co-founder and then CEO Kyle Vogt.

EV giant Tesla Inc., meanwhile, is also looking to start an autonomous ride-hailing service but is yet to achieve the technological advancement to let go of a human driver or receive the regulatory clearances needed to deploy robotaxis in any particular city.

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Photo courtesy: Waymo