Google’s autonomous vehicle division, Waymo, is expanding its self-driving robotaxi services to yet another U.S. city. The company recently announced its plans to bring its autonomous ride-hailing vehicles to Washington D.C. in 2026. This announcement comes on the heels of Waymo’s plans to deploy its services in Atlanta, Georgia, and Miami, Florida in the coming months.
In a press release, Waymo revealed that the services in Washington D.C. will be accessible through the Waymo One app, distinguishing it from other cities where the services are deployed through partnership agreements. Tekedra Mawakana, Waymo Co-CEO, expressed enthusiasm about bringing the comfort, consistency, and safety of Waymo One to the residents of Washington D.C. and the millions of visitors who travel to the city annually.
Waymo is actively collaborating with legislators to establish the necessary regulations for operating driverless vehicles in the nation’s capital. Currently, the company operates over 200,000 fully autonomous, paid driverless ride-hails per week. This move comes as other players, including Tesla, are gearing up to enter the commercial robotaxi space in the near future.
Jonathan Adkins, CEO of the Governors Highway Safety Association, commended Waymo for its commitment to safety and its careful navigation around pedestrians and cyclists. He expressed excitement about sharing the road with Waymo in Washington D.C. Waymo’s recent partnership with Uber in Austin, Texas, further solidifies its presence in the ride-hailing market.
As Tesla prepares to launch its own unsupervised drives with its Full Self-Driving (FSD) software, competition in the autonomous vehicle industry is heating up. While Tesla’s approach differs from Waymo’s, with Tesla focusing on real-time training data from drivers with FSD Supervised engaged, both companies are making significant strides in the development of autonomous technologies.
Overall, Waymo’s expansion to Washington D.C. marks another milestone in the evolution of self-driving technology. With the race to deploy autonomous vehicles intensifying, consumers can expect to see more innovative solutions and services in the transportation sector in the near future.