Waymo could expand to Virginia under new driverless car bill
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As Waymo races to expand its rollout of robotaxis nationwide, Virginia lawmakers are deciding whether to make the state legally ready for fully driverless cars.
Why it matters: Robotaxis aren't sci-fi anymore, and their vote could influence whether one will soon share the road with you.
State of play: Self-driving cars are permitted in about half the country, but Virginia law doesn't give companies an explicit green light to run a ride-hailing service without a human behind the wheel.
- One bill moving through the General Assembly would change that by explicitly allowing commercial driverless cars to operate under a state certification system.
- The proposal would require insurance coverage and for the car to follow traffic laws.
- It'd also prevent local governments from banning the cars.
Zoom in: The fiscal impact would include a one-time cost for the DMV (about $191,000) to build the systems and processes needed to issue fully autonomous vehicle certificates, per state budget analysts.
A Waymo spokesperson told Axios Richmond that if the proposal becomes law, they'd be able to expand to Virginia — though the timeline is unclear.
Catch up quick: Backed by $16 billion in fresh capital from parent Alphabet and other investors, Waymo has doubled the number of markets it serves in recent months — quickly extending its lead over Tesla and Amazon-owned Zoox, which are mostly in testing mode.
- Waymo now operates in 10 cities, and is prepping launches in Dallas, Houston, San Antonio and Orlando.
- And it's on track to provide more than 1 million driverless rides per week by the end of the year.
What we're watching: Waymo's robotaxis are adapting quickly to new markets, but basic operational challenges — such as charging and maintenance — could constrain network growth.
- As could what states like Virginia choose to do when it comes to fully driverless cars.