Alphabet Inc.– supported we say announced that it now operates in 10 cities as the global robotics race heats up.
The company announced on February 25 that it is launching its autonomous ride-hailing service in four new cities: Dallas, San Antonio, Houston and Orlando, bringing the total number of cities in which it operates to 10.
“Waymo is serving more riders than ever before, as we’re on track to serve more than one million rides per week by the end of this year.” Takdra MoakanaCo-CEO of Waymo, said in an official statement released by the company.
The company last reported 450,000 rides per week. The same statement also shared that the company has logged more than 200 million autonomous miles driven by its self-driving system.
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However, despite its growth, Waymo has come under scrutiny from authorities after several incidents involving its autonomous vehicles. A Waymo “Ojay” robotaxis crashed into several parked cars in California.
A Waymo robotic taxi also crashed into a child in a school zone in Santa Monica. NHTSA said it was investigating 3,000 Waymo autonomous vehicles after the incidents.
Waymo’s competitor Tesla Inc. It has also stepped up its robotics and autonomous vehicle efforts, as well Elon MuskThe automaker recently unveiled the company’s CyberCab, which will command a price tag of $30,000 or less and enter peak production in April of this year.
The CyberCab was also spotted testing on a highway in Chicago, marking a positive shift in the company’s AV efforts. However, challenges remain in Tesla’s robotaxi roadmap after the service in Austin reported 5 additional accidents in January, bringing the number of reported incidents to 14 by mid-2025.
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Musk has also hinted at Tesla’s largest autonomous fleet in the future, but the company’s self-driving efforts have also been criticized by investors such as Ross Gerber investment company Gerber Kawasaki.
Meanwhile, Waymo is also facing competition Baidu Inc.Sponsored by Robotaxy Inc Go Apollo Internationally, as the Chinese company announced that it has reached a target of 300,000 robotaxis rides per week while expanding its service in South Korea.
