Waymo Launches Robotaxi Service in Denver, San Diego, and Tampa
Waymo began offering its robotaxi service to the public in Denver, San Diego, and Tampa on September 1, expanding its commercial operations to 14 US cities. The company's fleet now exceeds 4,000 vehicles. Denver and San Diego will use Waymo's new Ojai minivan, built on a Zeekr platform.
Waymo started offering its robotaxi service to the public in Denver, San Diego, and Tampa on September 1, bringing its total commercial footprint to 14 US cities.
The company said it will invite riders on a rolling basis and ramp up access gradually in the three cities, following its standard launch approach. The expansion grew its fleet of self-driving vehicles to more than 4,000, combining Jaguar I-Pace hatchbacks and a new minivan called the Ojai.
Denver and San Diego will use only the Ojai, Waymo's next-generation robotaxi built on a Zeekr platform. The Ojai features Waymo's sixth-generation self-driving system and is designed to cost less to build, operate, and maintain than the Jaguar. The current Ojai fleet stands at about 300 vehicles but is expected to grow quickly.
Waymo's expansion has accelerated over the past 18 months. Since opening in Austin through a partnership with Uber in March 2025, the company has launched commercial service in seven additional cities, including Atlanta, Dallas, Houston, Miami, Nashville, Orlando, and San Antonio.
Tesla is competing in the same market. The company now charges for rides in driverless Tesla Model Y vehicles in Austin, Dallas, Houston, Miami, Orlando, and Tampa. Tesla is also developing the Cybercab, a custom two-seater with no steering wheel or pedals.
Waymo is targeting 1 million rides per week by the end of 2026, up from 500,000 weekly rides reported earlier in the year. The Nevada Transportation Authority recently approved a permit for Waymo to operate up to 1,000 vehicles in Clark County, home to Las Vegas. The company also has plans to launch in London and Munich.
