Alphabet’s Waymo has selected Washington, DC, as its next city for robotaxi service.
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Alphabet’s (GOOGL) Waymo Plans Robotaxi Debut in Washington, DC in 2026
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Tech giant Alphabet’s (GOOGL) self-driving project, Waymo, has revealed plans to bring its robotaxi service to Washington, DC, making it the next city in its expansion. The company intends to roll out its Waymo One ride-hailing service in the U.S. capital by 2026. This follows its earlier announcement of a commercial robotaxi rollout in Miami in early 2026.
But First, Regulations
The company stated that before launching, it must address existing city regulations that currently prohibit fully autonomous vehicles from operating without safety drivers.
At present, companies testing autonomous vehicles in Washington, DC, must have a human driver behind the wheel as a safety precaution. As a result, Waymo’s robotaxis will keep mapping Washington’s streets with a safety driver on board for now. Nonetheless, the company announced it will collaborate with policymakers to revise the district’s permitting regulations, enabling fully autonomous vehicles to operate on public roads.
Waymo’s D.C. announcement follows its recent launch of a small test fleet of Jaguar I-Pace robotaxis in the city. These vehicles have been operating manually and testing autonomous driving with a safety driver onboard.
Waymo’s Expansion Gains Speed
If Waymo’s plans succeed, Washington and Miami will join its existing robotaxi markets: Phoenix, Los Angeles, and the San Francisco Bay Area. Meanwhile, Waymo operates in Austin through a partnership with Uber (UBER) and plans to extend this collaboration to Atlanta later this year.
Waymo is aggressively expanding its robotaxi network to outpace rival Tesla (TSLA). Interestingly, Elon Musk announced plans to launch Tesla’s robotaxi service in Austin this summer, with a California rollout expected later this year. However, Tesla investors are concerned about the timely rollout as Musk’s declining popularity adds to the company’s mounting challenges.
On the other hand, Waymo’s weekly rides have surged from 10,000 to 200,000 in just two years, far surpassing any other self-driving car competitor. The company now logs over 1 million autonomous miles weekly, which is further set to rise with upcoming expansions.
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