Waymo Opens Driverless Rides in 3 Cities, Bringing Its Service to 14 U.S. Markets
Waymo is putting public riders in three new markets, while Zoox is preparing supervised tests in two cities. The difference is not just geographic reach: it is the distinction between an available driverless service and a development step toward one.
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3 key pointsWaymo is extending its commercial robotaxi footprint to Colorado and two additional states, but the rollout is deliberately capacity-constrained: tens of thousands have expressed interest in each city, while access begins with staged invitations and fleets of dozens. The company says it now serves 14 U.S. markets, delivers over 500,000 weekly rides, and is targeting 1 million by the end of 2026. The strategic test...
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Denver is Waymo’s first commercial operating market in Colorado; broader rider access will expand gradually.
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Waymo plans to grow each new city from dozens of vehicles to hundreds over time.
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Waymo claims 94% fewer serious-injury-or-worse crashes than human drivers in comparable situations.
Waymo began welcoming public riders in Denver, San Diego and Tampa on Tuesday, taking its fully autonomous ride service to 14 cities. Access will widen progressively, Waymo said, making these staged launches a meaningful expansion but not an immediate opening to every interested rider.
Access opens in stages
Denver is Waymo’s first commercial operating market in Colorado. Waymo said tens of thousands of people in each of the three cities had already expressed interest, but riders will receive access gradually as the company works toward a broader opening.
Waymo said it spent months validating the Waymo Driver on local streets before the openings and working with first responders and local officials. The company also says its driver was involved in 94% fewer serious-injury-or-worse crashes than human drivers of the same time.
The Denver, San Diego and Tampa launches bring Waymo’s fully autonomous service to 14 cities.
Waymo provides more than 500,000 robotaxi rides in the U.S. each week and aims to reach 1 million by the end of 2026.
Zoox has more locations, but a different milestone
Amazon-owned Zoox plans to start testing in Houston and San Diego this month, with human supervisors aboard. It says those additions will give it a presence in 12 U.S. markets, but supervised testing differs from Waymo’s public driverless trips.
The commercial contrast
- Waymo is starting public driverless rides in three additional cities, initially with dozens of vehicles in each and a plan to reach hundreds over time.
- Zoox’s only paid ride-hailing service currently operates in Las Vegas; its San Francisco offering is free for selected riders.
- Tesla is expected to provide more information on its driverless Cybercab and Robotaxi ride-hailing service at a planned Thursday event.
A larger market still faces operational scrutiny
Goldman Sachs Research forecasts the U.S. robotaxi market will reach $19 billion in 2030, up from about $3 billion projected for 2027. The figures are a forecast, rather than a measure of current demand or profitability.
Labor leaders have raised concerns that autonomous vehicles could eliminate transportation jobs. Safety advocates want companies to disclose and standardize mileage and crash data, while bad weather, blackouts, construction and unusual traffic can create safety problems. Some autonomous vehicles have caused gridlock or required first responders to move them manually.
Waymo’s immediate test is whether its limited launches become broadly available while maintaining reliable operations. Zoox and Tesla still face the separate task of turning supervised or planned activity into driverless rides the public can pay for.
Editorial analysis
Our Read
The useful competitive measure is not how many cities a company can name. It is whether the public can summon a driverless vehicle, how quickly access broadens, and whether that service holds up as fleets grow. Waymo’s staged openings in Denver, San Diego and Tampa give it three more live tests of that model. Zoox’s supervised Houston and San Diego program is a necessary but earlier step. The next evidence to watch is Waymo’s pace of opening access beyond its initial riders, and whether Zoox converts its testing footprint into a paid service outside Las Vegas.
