Technology
Waymo and Zoox expand robotaxi operations into more U.S. cities
Alphabet's Waymo is launching commercial rides in three new markets, while Amazon's Zoox plans to begin testing in Houston and San Diego.
The short version
- Alphabet's Waymo is expanding its commercial driverless service to San Diego, Tampa, and Denver, marking its first commercial operations in Colorado.
- Amazon's Zoox is expanding its testing footprint to Houston and San Diego, bringing its total market presence to 12 U.S. cities.
- The industry expansions come just ahead of a highly anticipated Tesla event detailing its driverless Cybercab and robotaxi service.
- The growing autonomous vehicle sector continues to face pushback from labor leaders regarding job losses and safety advocates demanding data transparency.
Key facts
- Waymo is introducing dozens of robotaxis in San Diego, Tampa, and Denver with plans to scale to hundreds over time, requiring users to hail rides via its app.[CNBC]
- Waymo currently operates more than 4,000 vehicles across 14 U.S. cities, providing over 500,000 weekly rides and targeting 1 million weekly rides by the end of 2026.[CNBC]
- Zoox will begin testing its vehicles with human safety drivers on board in Houston and San Diego, while its only current paid ride-hailing operations are in Las Vegas.[CNBC]
- Goldman Sachs Research projects the U.S. robotaxi market to grow from about $3 billion next year to $19 billion in 2030, and reach $48 billion by 2035.[CNBC]
What remains uncertain
- Zoox has not announced when it will transition its free service in San Francisco for select riders into a paid commercial service.[CNBC]