Waymo is accelerating the rollout of its autonomous ride-hailing service with plans to expand into three new cities — Detroit, Las Vegas, and San Diego.
The expansion marks the company’s largest geographic growth to date and brings its fleet of driverless vehicles to a total of eight active U.S. markets.
Detroit: A Return to the Motor City
Detroit will become Waymo’s first market in the Midwest, a symbolic move given the city’s deep automotive heritage. The company has maintained engineering operations in nearby Novi for several years, focusing heavily on testing performance in snow and ice.
“We’ve made great strides in our efforts to operate in heavier snow – including testing in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula – and look forward to the sixth-generation Waymo driver navigating Detroit streets this winter,” the company said in a statement.
The rollout will begin with supervised testing, where vehicles operate with a human driver behind the wheel before transitioning to fully driverless service once local regulatory approvals are secured. Michigan officials will require Waymo to obtain a Transportation Network Company permit before commercial operations begin.
San Diego and Las Vegas Next on the Map
Waymo’s entry into San Diego will mark its latest expansion across California. While no official launch date has been announced, the company expects to begin commercial operations in 2026. San Diego’s coastal climate and similarity to existing Waymo markets like Los Angeles and Phoenix make it an ideal testing ground.
In Las Vegas, Waymo is preparing to deploy its autonomous taxis next summer, pending approval from the Nevada Department of Motor Vehicles and state transportation authorities. The company will also continue its partnerships with Uber and Lyft, allowing users to hail Waymo vehicles directly from those apps.
A Growing Network of Driverless Cities
Currently Waymo, Alphabet’s self-driving technology division, operates in the San Francisco Bay Area, Los Angeles, Phoenix, Austin, and Atlanta. The company will begin testing in the new cities this week using a mix of Jaguar I-Pace electric SUVs and its newly developed Zeekr electric vehicles.
These next-generation robotaxis, built in partnership with Chinese automaker Geely, were designed specifically for autonomous ride-hailing and feature Waymo’s sixth-generation driver technology for improved safety and cost efficiency.
