Waymo Expands Robotaxi Operations to 10 U.S. Cities, Reaching 500,000 Weekly Rides

Waymo, the autonomous vehicle subsidiary of Alphabet, has achieved a major milestone in its commercial rollout, providing 500,000 paid robotaxi rides every week across 10 U.S. cities. This growth marks a tenfold increase from May 2024, when the company averaged 50,000 rides per week. The expansion reflects both rising consumer demand for autonomous mobility and Waymo’s aggressive market outreach. Over the past two years, the company has solidified its presence in Phoenix, San Francisco, and Los Angeles, while expanding to Austin, Atlanta, Miami, Dallas, Houston, San Antonio, and Orlando—primarily cities in the Sun Belt added within the last year. Despite this surge in ridership, Waymo’s vehicle fleet remains relatively steady, with about 3,000 robotaxis equipped with its fifth-generation self-driving system, according to data filed with NHTSA in late 2025. The stable fleet size paired with growing trip numbers suggests improved operational efficiency and utilization per vehicle. However, the company faces increasing public and regulatory scrutiny, including investigations by U.S. transportation agencies into incidents involving school buses and stranded vehicles in cities like San Francisco. Compared with human-operated ride-hailing giant Uber, Waymo’s scale remains small—Uber completed 13.5 billion trips in 2025—but Waymo continues to lead the autonomous ride-hailing market. Competitors such as Tesla, Motional, Zoox, and Avride are racing to launch paid robotaxi services, yet Waymo maintains a substantial head start in the U.S.