Updated
Updated · CNBC · Sep 1
Waymo Expands Driverless Robotaxis to 3 More U.S. Cities as Market Eyes $19 Billion by 2030
Updated
Updated · CNBC · Sep 1

Waymo Expands Driverless Robotaxis to 3 More U.S. Cities as Market Eyes $19 Billion by 2030

3 articles · Updated · CNBC · Sep 1

Summary

  • Waymo began offering driverless rides in San Diego, Tampa and Denver, marking its first commercial robotaxi operations in Colorado.
  • Dozens of vehicles will launch in each city through the Waymo app, with fleets planned to grow into the hundreds over time.
  • Waymo now runs more than 4,000 vehicles across 14 U.S. cities and provides over 500,000 paid rides a week, targeting 1 million by end-2026.
  • Zoox said it will start testing in Houston and San Diego with human safety drivers, expanding its footprint to 12 U.S. markets but still trailing Waymo's lone paid service rival in Las Vegas.
  • The expansion comes before Tesla's Thursday robotaxi event and amid forecasts the U.S. market will grow from about $3 billion next year to $19 billion in 2030, even as labor and safety concerns persist.

Insights

Waymo and Zoox are racing to dominate our streets, but are these driverless fleets truly safe or just a massive public beta test?
As tech giants quietly rewrite city transit rules, will your next driverless commute ultimately cost a human worker their livelihood?
With robotaxis struggling in bad weather, what happens when you are trapped in a driverless car during a sudden flash flood?