Waymo, backed by tech giant Alphabet (GOOGL), said on Thursday that it has officially launched its robotaxi service for paying riders in Miami. As a result, Miami has become Waymo’s sixth U.S. market and has widened its lead over rivals like EV maker Tesla (TSLA) and Zoox, which is owned by tech titan Amazon (AMZN). Notably, Waymo’s service will begin operating within a 60-square-mile area that covers neighborhoods such as the Design District, Wynwood, Brickell, and Coral Gables, with plans to eventually extend the service to Miami International Airport.
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Impressively, Waymo noted that nearly 10,000 Miami residents have already signed up, and new riders are being added gradually through its app. In addition, fleet operations in the city will be supported by mobility partner Moove, which will handle charging, cleaning, and maintenance. It’s worth noting that the Miami launch follows a busy period for Waymo, where it expanded operations in Austin, Atlanta, Los Angeles, Phoenix, and the San Francisco Bay Area.
And although the company recently faced scrutiny over vehicle behavior during storms and power outages in San Francisco, it stated that it has since improved its systems. Looking ahead, Waymo plans to expand into more U.S. cities in 2026 and launch its first overseas commercial service, while continuing tests in New York, Tokyo, and London. Moreover, after surpassing 450,000 weekly paid rides and completing 14 million trips in 2025, Waymo is reportedly in talks to raise $15 billion.
Is GOOGL Stock a Good Buy?
Turning to Wall Street, analysts have a Strong Buy consensus rating on GOOGL stock based on 27 Buys and seven Holds assigned in the past three months. Furthermore, the average GOOGL price target of $343.65 per share implies 3.9% upside potential.
