Just a few weeks after Waymo announced it was taking its robotaxi service to London in its first European expansion, the Alphabet-owned company has just revealed that it’s heading to three new cities in the U.S., too.
In a post on X on Monday, Waymo said its autonomous taxis will soon be trundling along the streets of San Diego, Detroit, and Las Vegas.
While a precise launch date has yet to be revealed, the robotaxi service is expected to begin serving paying passengers some time next year, with riders using the Waymo app to book trips and manage their account.
Waymo has already been testing its autonomous vehicles in these cities to learn more about their performance in various traffic and weather conditions, with snow and ice a notable challenge in Detroit. And yes, in Las Vegas, the service area for Waymo’s robotaxis is expected to include the famous Strip, with an expansion to the city’s airport also on the cards.
The company already has the necessary permit to operate in California, but for Detroit and Las Vegas it still requires the necessary permissions from regulators in Michigan and Nevada, respectively.
“We’ll follow our safety framework and serve riders in these cities when we’ve properly validated our technology and obtained the necessary permissions, with the intentions to open our doors to riders next year,” Waymo spokesperson Sandy Karp told The Verge.
Waymo currently operates in the San Francisco Bay Area, Los Angeles, Phoenix, Austin, and Atlanta, and also plans to launch pilot services in Miami, Washington D.C., and Denver, among other places.
Besides London and a growing number of U.S. cities, Waymo is also planning operations in Tokyo, where, like London, its driverless vehicles will have to drive on the left side, along streets that can often be narrower and windier than those in the U.S.
Here’s a list of other exciting challenges awaiting Waymo’s robotaxis when they hit London roads soon.
