Story perspectives

Waymo Starts Driverless Rides in Four Cities, Eyes Million Trips

7/9/2026

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Summary

Waymo Launches Rides

Waymo will launch fully autonomous rides in San Diego, Las Vegas, Tampa, and Denver.
The service will initially be limited to Alphabet employees before opening to the public.
Waymo’s U.S. fleet includes about 4,000 robotaxis with fifth- and sixth-generation technology.
Waymo aims for 1 million weekly paid rides by year-end after completing 20 million autonomous trips.

Summary

Waymo Regulated

Colorado’s Public Utilities Commission will regulate Waymo’s public robotaxi service with licensing, safety, insurance and crash-reporting requirements.
Colorado’s permissive autonomous-vehicle rules make the state a key testing ground compared with stricter states.
Waymo recalled about 3,800 Denver vehicles this year after a flooded road in May and after entering construction zones in June.
The Ojai minivan built on Geely’s Zeekr is Waymo’s first ground-up design, stemming from a 2021 partnership.

Summary

Waymo Faces Scrutiny

On May 14, researcher Dr. Eric Topol urged reporting of crash rates for autonomous vehicles, citing Waymo data that driverless cars cause far fewer serious injuries.
A March study found 85 % expect driverless cars to eliminate ride-hailing jobs.
Councilman Sean Elo-Rivera urged the transit board to block Waymo’s expansion without oversight.
Analysts warn Waymo’s 3,000-vehicle city-by-city rollout may strain profitability as it targets one million paid rides by year-end.

History

Historical Context

Google began testing autonomous cars in January 2009 and earned Nevada’s first self-driving license in May 2012. After the project was renamed Waymo in December 2016, it launched the commercial Waymo One service in Phoenix in December 2018 and now runs 3,871 robotaxis across ten U.S. metros, including rollouts in San Diego and Las Vegas. The early regulatory wins and OEM partnerships underpin today’s expansion.

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Waymo Launches Rides

Waymo will launch fully autonomous rides in San Diego, Las Vegas, Tampa, and Denver.
The service will initially be limited to Alphabet employees before opening to the public.
Waymo’s U.S. fleet includes about 4,000 robotaxis with fifth- and sixth-generation technology.
Waymo aims for 1 million weekly paid rides by year-end after completing 20 million autonomous trips.

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