Alphabet’s (GOOGL) self-driving car company, Waymo (PC:WAYMO), has begun operating fully autonomous vehicles in Miami without safety drivers or in-car monitors. For now, rides are limited to Waymo employees. The rollout reflects the company’s push to strengthen its lead in the autonomous ride-hailing market.
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In late 2025, Waymo plans to remove human drivers in Dallas, Houston, San Antonio, and Orlando as well. A commercial launch for the general public in all these cities, including Miami, is expected in 2026.
The public will be able to book rides through the Waymo app once the commercial service is fully rolled out next year.
This marks a major step forward for Waymo, which already operates fully public robotaxi services in Phoenix, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Austin, and Atlanta.
Waymo’s Rapid Expansion
The company initially limited operations to small areas, such as Chandler, Arizona. However, with a fleet of more than 1,500 autonomous vehicles, Waymo is rapidly expanding across diverse urban environments.
Importantly, the Miami launch also follows Waymo’s latest announcement to offer paid highway rides in Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Phoenix, a milestone that points to its ability to handle more complex driving scenarios.
It must be noted that Waymo has a strong lead over rivals such as Tesla (TSLA) and Amazon’s (AMZN) Zoox. Also, the company’s expansion points to the fast-growing race to bring self-driving cars to market, where safety, regulatory cooperation, and public trust are key challenges.
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On TipRanks, GOOGL stock has received a Strong Buy consensus rating, with 31 Buys and seven Holds assigned in the last three months. The average Alphabet stock price target is $312.50, suggesting an upside potential of 9.13% from the current level.
