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.

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Waymo partnered with Waze this month on a pilot program to help cities find and fix potholes.

Why it matters: Waymo says it wants to eventually roll it out in New Orleans.

The big picture: The pilot program uses Waymo's vehicle feedback systems to detect potholes.

• The data is then given to authorities through the Waze for Cities platform along with user-reported pothole information, a press release says.
• The pilot is in the San Francisco Bay area, Los Angeles, Phoenix, Austin and Atlanta. Waymo says it has already identified about 500 potholes in those markets.

Misreading local politics could foil Waymo's ambitious growth plans, erasing the giant lead it has over competitors.

State of play: While self-driving cars are permitted in about half the country, the laws would have to be changed in places like Washington, D.C., and New York, where a human operator is still required behind the wheel.

• In other states, the law is silent on driverless cars, which means it's open to interpretation — and debate.
• More worrisome for Waymo, potentially: City leaders in some places, including Boston and Seattle, are proposing new ordinances that would prohibit autonomous vehicles.

Zoom in: In New Orleans, City Council President JP Morrell expressed concerns in January about Waymo, saying it doesn't seem like the technology is a "good fit" for the city.

• He said he planned to look into it.

The intrigue: Waymo replaced its global head of public policy last year to deal with the mounting headwinds.

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Axios Miami's Martin Vassolo tested one of the company's self-driving cars earlier this year in Little Havana.

• The Waymo team set him up on a 30-minute trip.

💬 Martin's thought bubble: It was a smooth and surprisingly human-like ride.

• I sat in the back seat as the electric Jaguar SUV (Waymo's standard car for Miami) navigated around intersections, pedestrians and stopped vehicles.
• What most surprised me — other than the sight of a steering wheel moving on its own — was how the car's AI brain reacted to obstacles in the road with assertive fluidity.

At another tricky intersection — one without a traffic light — the Waymo slowly eased forward to check for cars before taking a left turn across four lanes of traffic.

The do's and don'ts of riding, along with safety concerns

🚀 Days after Artemis II's successful mission, the folks at Michoud are already onto the next moon mission. (Axios)

• They've finished the largest piece of the Artemis III rocket and will roll it out today to the barge that will take it to Kennedy Space Center. (NASA)
• DYK — Astronaut Christina Koch is an Eagles fan and was in New Orleans last year for the Super Bowl. She brought confetti from the game to space. (Instagram)

🥬 It's 4/20. Napoleon House has a party at 4pm celebrating its Pimm's Cup collab with Louie Louie, a THC-infused canned drink. (Details)

• Another option: Mélange, a THC-focused bar on Frenchmen Street.

👀 The French Quarter is getting remote police drones similar to the ones in Jefferson Parish. City Council approved the move last week. (Press release)

🥺 Closing: Restaurant Johnny Sánchez in the CBD and Old Metairie blowdry bar Bleu.