Alphabet’s Waymo robotaxi announced plans to start operations in Miami in 2026, marking the company’s first expansion out of the West.
In a blog post Thursday, Waymo said it has been testing its autonomous taxis in the Florida city since 2019 and will offer limited rides in 2025 in preparation for a full launch in 2026.
The Jaguar I-Pace robotaxis will be maintained by Moove. Waymo said that including the fleet service company will smooth out its expansion plan across multiple cities. Moove will also take over Waymo’s fleet management in Phoenix.
“We are excited to partner with Moove in Phoenix and later Miami, bringing together their mobility-focused fleet management experience with our growing Waymo One service,” Waymo Vice President of Operations Ryan McNamara said. “Together, we will provide safe, seamless trips for riders, and scale faster and more cost-effectively over time, with safety continuing to lead the way.”
Once Waymo launches rides in Miami, it will be the company’s fifth operational city after Los Angeles, San Francisco, Phoenix and Austin, Texas. According to the company’s estimates, its autonomous vehicles take 150,000 paid trips per week across all of its cities.
Waymo has emerged as the dominant robotaxi company after General Motors’ Cruise collapsed last year. However, electric vehicle giant Tesla said it will launch its own such program in the near future.
• Vaughn Cockayne can be reached at vcockayne@washingtontimes.com.
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