Waymo has opened its autonomous ride-hailing service in Dallas, Houston, San Antonio and Orlando, expanding its commercial operations to 10 metropolitan areas.
“Waymo is serving more riders than ever, as we are on track to serve over one million rides per week by the end of this year,” said Tekedra Mawakana, co-CEO of Waymo. “Dallas, Houston, San Antonio and Orlando are critical to our plans, as we lay groundwork for service in 20+ cities. Each community has its own unique charm and transportation needs, and we’re eager to provide a safe, reliable and magical way for locals and visitors to travel.”
Waymo’s technology is designed to operate across each city’s distinct conditions, from intense midday sun and sudden downpours to freezing temperatures.
“Dallas is excited for Waymo to launch operations in our city, providing Dallas residents and visitors with new, innovative transportation options,” said Dallas Mayor Eric L Johnson. “The availability of Waymo’s fully autonomous ride service further cements Dallas’s reputation as one of America’s most innovative and dynamic cities. Together, we are putting public safety first while building a more connected city.”
“We’ve been working with Waymo for several months to make today’s announcement possible,” added Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer. “The launch of their commercial service in Orlando is another example of our city’s forward thinking and commitment to innovation. Starting today, our residents will have another option to safely move about the area, and our visitors will be welcomed with the world-class mobility they deserve. Welcome to Orlando, Waymo!”
“I am a big fan of Waymo and have ridden in them many times on the West Coast – it is a fun and futuristic experience,” commented Houston City Council member Sallie Alcorn. “I’m thrilled that we are now launching limited-access public rides here in Houston. It will give both Houstonians and visitors another safe, high-tech way to get around during exciting upcoming events like the World Baseball Classic and the World Cup.”
With more than 200 million fully autonomous miles traveled, the company says it is contributing to improved road safety in the cities where it operates. Based on data from over 204 million kilometers, it reports a tenfold reduction in serious injury-or-worse crashes and a twelvefold reduction in injury crashes involving pedestrians, compared with human drivers.
Related news, Wayve secures US$1.5bn to scale commercial deployment of its embodied AI autonomy platform