Waymo to launch in New Orleans this year
Add Axios as your preferred source to
see more of our stories on Google.
Waymo is accelerating its rollout of robotaxis in the U.S., adding four new cities in Texas and Florida recently as self-driving technology pushes into mainstream America.
Why it matters: Armed with $16 billion in fresh capital from parent Alphabet and others, Waymo is quickly extending its lead over other players like Tesla and Amazon-owned Zoox, which are still mostly in testing mode.
Zoom in: Waymo says it will launch in New Orleans this year.
- A limited fleet of its cars learned the city's roads last year, Waymo says. The robot cars found "the Big Easy easy to navigate."
By the numbers: Now in 10 cities, Waymo has doubled the number of markets it serves in a matter of months.
- It's laying the groundwork for service in at least 20 cities, and is on track to provide more than 1 million driverless rides per week by the end of the year.
- It has about 3,000 robotaxis deployed nationwide, more than one-third of them in the San Francisco Bay area.
What we're watching: Waymo's robotaxis are adapting quickly to new markets, but basic operational challenges — such as charging and maintenance — could constrain growth.