These cities could be the next destinations for Waymo robotaxi service
Google’s self-driving car project began in Phoenix, Arizona in 2017 and has now expanded to five cities.
The self-driving Waymo cars will be coming to three new cities next year, continuing the expansion into new markets across the United States.
On Monday the Google-owned robotaxi service revealed that Las Vegas, San Diego and Detroit will be added to the city list in 2026, marking the biggest geographical expansion to date. Waymo already has driverless services in Phoenix, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Atlanta and Austin but the move to Detroit, in particular, is notable.
Waymo is undergoing winter-weather testing in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula to ensure that the service will be operational year-round in Detroit, where freezing temperatures and heavy snow are expected.
New era coming for Waymo taxis
This week’s news is the latest in a series of big announcements from Waymo this year. Back in March it was confirmed that Washington D.C. would be getting a robotaxi service from 2026, pending regulatory approval.
Miami has also been announced as a future location, with testing beginning in the city in April 2025. There have even been pilot programs in Manhattan and Brooklyn in New York City but a full roll-out there is thought to be further away.
Another big change for Waymo will be the introduction of a new model of car added to the fleet. Waymo has been using the Jaguar I-PACE but will soon add a new Zeekr model developed by Chinese car manufacturer Geely. The new car has been specifically designed as a robotaxi.
Waymo has pulled ahead of rivals in the race to roll out driverless cars in the United States. Tesla’s Autopilot cars have been linked to two fatal incidents, while General Motors were forced to pause operations of their Cruise model after a women was dragged down the street for 20 feet.
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