Waymo Expands Autonomous Rides, Eyes Highways, Airports and Cities Across US and Abroad
The self-driving company owned by Alphabet is rapidly scaling its operations, with plans to increase weekly autonomous rides from hundreds of thousands to one million by the end of 2026. Waymo already operates in five US cities - Phoenix, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Atlanta, and Austin - but aims to more than double its footprint by expanding into six new cities, including Miami, Dallas, Denver, Seattle, Nashville, and Washington D.C.
According to Tekedra Mawakana, co-CEO of Waymo, the company's expansion isn't limited to geography. "It is imperative that we scale," she said. "We need to show the world what autonomous vehicles can do." To achieve this, Waymo will begin operations in Miami early next year and start offering fully autonomous rides in London in 2026.
The move to highways is a significant step forward for Waymo, which has been conducting employee trials in Phoenix, Los Angeles, and San Francisco. Mawakana believes that highway rides will open up new possibilities for the company, including facilitating airport trips. "Airport trips are super focused on us," she said.
However, scaling up autonomous vehicles also raises concerns about safety. Waymo reports a 91% reduction in high-severity crashes compared to human drivers, and Mawakana emphasizes that safety is the company's top priority. "If our record begins to slip, we will absolutely slow our expansion," she warned.
To maintain transparency about its technology, Waymo is committed to being open and honest about its limitations. "I'm not telling you 100 percent across the board," Mawakana said. "We have to be in this open and honest dialogue about the fact that we know it's not perfection."
Waymo's expansion plans are a significant step forward for autonomous vehicles, and the company is poised to play a major role in shaping the future of transportation. With its focus on safety, transparency, and scalability, Waymo is well-positioned to lead the way in this rapidly evolving industry.
The self-driving company owned by Alphabet is rapidly scaling its operations, with plans to increase weekly autonomous rides from hundreds of thousands to one million by the end of 2026. Waymo already operates in five US cities - Phoenix, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Atlanta, and Austin - but aims to more than double its footprint by expanding into six new cities, including Miami, Dallas, Denver, Seattle, Nashville, and Washington D.C.
According to Tekedra Mawakana, co-CEO of Waymo, the company's expansion isn't limited to geography. "It is imperative that we scale," she said. "We need to show the world what autonomous vehicles can do." To achieve this, Waymo will begin operations in Miami early next year and start offering fully autonomous rides in London in 2026.
The move to highways is a significant step forward for Waymo, which has been conducting employee trials in Phoenix, Los Angeles, and San Francisco. Mawakana believes that highway rides will open up new possibilities for the company, including facilitating airport trips. "Airport trips are super focused on us," she said.
However, scaling up autonomous vehicles also raises concerns about safety. Waymo reports a 91% reduction in high-severity crashes compared to human drivers, and Mawakana emphasizes that safety is the company's top priority. "If our record begins to slip, we will absolutely slow our expansion," she warned.
To maintain transparency about its technology, Waymo is committed to being open and honest about its limitations. "I'm not telling you 100 percent across the board," Mawakana said. "We have to be in this open and honest dialogue about the fact that we know it's not perfection."
Waymo's expansion plans are a significant step forward for autonomous vehicles, and the company is poised to play a major role in shaping the future of transportation. With its focus on safety, transparency, and scalability, Waymo is well-positioned to lead the way in this rapidly evolving industry.
. i mean, Miami next year is a big deal - that's like, a major hub or something 
. but what's even more interesting is that they're testing highway rides which could open up airport trips 
️. it's all about safety tho, waymo's being super transparent about their limitations 
. 91% reduction in high-severity crashes is still impressive though! can't wait to see how this whole autonomous vehicle thing plays out 
. Still, Waymo seems pretty committed to making sure they get it right, and if they can deliver on that, it's going to be huge. I just hope we don't forget the old days of driving ourselves around without worrying about tech failures 
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. The fact that they're prioritizing safety and transparency is huge +1 in my book 
. And starting to offer fully autonomous rides on highways and airports? Game-changer! It's going to be wild to see how this all plays out, but I'm confident Waymo's got it under control 
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. It's all about transparency and honesty, too – I appreciate that Waymo is acknowledging its limitations and being open about areas where they need improvement 
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. Bring on the self-driving highways and airports – I'm ready to see what the future holds 
. Safety is def their top priority, which is great to see 
. Can't wait to see how this all plays out, and whether we'll actually see the future of transportation become a reality