Waymo to Launch Fully Driverless Robotaxi Service in Washington, D.C. by 2026

Waymo, the autonomous driving division of Alphabet Inc. (NASDAQ: GOOGL), has announced plans to introduce its fully driverless ride-hailing service in Washington, D.C. by 2026, as part of its broader strategy to expand robotaxi operations across major U.S. cities.

The company began transferring its autonomous vehicles to the U.S. capital in January and aims to scale up its local fleet in the coming weeks. Waymo is targeting a full rollout of paid rides through its Waymo One platform by 2025, ahead of a wider public launch the following year.

Currently, Waymo One operates over 200,000 paid, driverless rides per week in key cities such as San Francisco, Phoenix, Los Angeles, and Austin. After completing more than 4 million paid trips in 2024, the company is now preparing to expand its autonomous taxi services to Atlanta, Miami, and eventually Washington, D.C.

In October, Waymo secured $5.6 billion in funding in a round led by its parent company Alphabet, reinforcing its growth ambitions amid increasing regulatory oversight. Despite scrutiny from safety authorities, the company continues to advance its plans.

Earlier in 2024, the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) launched an investigation into 22 reported incidents involving Waymo vehicles, citing potential breaches of traffic laws and unexpected driving behaviours. Of these, 17 incidents involved minor collisions, with the agency noting that some involved “clearly visible objects that a competent driver would be expected to avoid.”

Waymo defended its safety performance, citing internal data from over 50 million autonomous miles driven without a human behind the wheel. The company reported 81% fewer injury-causing accidents compared to the average human driver, highlighting the safety benefits of its technology.

The decision to expand into Washington, D.C. comes on the heels of a limited pilot programme using Jaguar I-Pace vehicles, which have been operating in both manual and autonomous modes with onboard safety drivers. This step paves the way for fully driverless operations in the capital.

Waymo's growing presence puts it in direct competition with other self-driving vehicle developers, including Amazon-backed Zoox and Tesla (NASDAQ: TSLA). Tesla CEO Elon Musk recently revealed plans to launch Tesla’s own robotaxi service in Austin by mid-2025, followed by a rollout in California later in the year.

By entering the Washington, D.C. market, Waymo continues to position itself as a leader in the driverless ride-hailing industry, pushing forward with commercial autonomous mobility despite mounting challenges.

(Sources: investing.com, reuters.com)