Waymo is continuing its robotaxi expansion, announcing plans to move into Sacramento, California, and Boston, Massachusetts.
The company confirmed the expansion this week, sharing on social media, “New cities, new horizons. Boston & Sacramento, we’re here to lay the groundwork for our autonomous ride-hailing service. The future of mobility just got a little bigger.”
Waymo already operates fully driverless robotaxi services in several major cities, including Phoenix, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Austin, Miami, and Atlanta. According to Waymo, they have now completed more than 20 million fully autonomous rides and is currently providing approximately 400,000 driverless trips each week.
Sacramento Deployment Begins With Learning Phase
In Sacramento, Waymo is starting with a fleet of its all-electric Jaguar I-PACE vehicles that will initially be driven manually to collect detailed mapping and road data.
This process allows the company’s autonomous system, known as the Waymo Driver, to adapt to local traffic patterns, road layouts, and unique environmental conditions before offering fully driverless rides to the public.
Boston Expansion Hinges On Regulatory Approval
Meanwhile, Waymo is preparing to re-enter Boston after conducting early testing there previously. The company says it gained valuable insights into the city’s challenging driving environment, which includes narrow streets, cobblestones, roundabouts, and harsh winter weather.
However, full robotaxi service in Boston will depend on regulatory approval. Waymo confirmed, “Before offering fully autonomous rides to Bostonians, we’ll first need the state to legalize fully autonomous vehicles.” (via CBS)
Waymo has also emphasized its readiness to operate in cold climates, noting its technology has been tested extensively in snowy cities to ensure safe and reliable performance year-round.
Global Expansion Plans
The Boston and Sacramento expansions are part of a much larger rollout plan. Waymo has identified several additional future markets, including Dallas, Denver, Las Vegas, Washington, DC, and two international locations – London, and Tokyo, as it works toward building a global autonomous transportation network.
