Waymo is preparing for another major expansion in the U.S., announcing on Thursday that its autonomous ride-hailing service is heading to three more cities—Minneapolis, Tampa, and New Orleans. The Alphabet-owned company will begin manual driving in each market “in the coming days,” marking the first step toward launching fully driverless service as early as 2026.
The update adds even more momentum to Waymo’s rapid growth plan. With the addition of Minneapolis, Tampa, and New Orleans, the company now has its sights set on deploying robotaxis in at least 20 markets, a massive leap from the five regions where it currently operates paid rides: the San Francisco Bay Area, Phoenix, Los Angeles, Austin, and Atlanta.
A spokesperson for the company says the technology has reached a level of maturity that allows Waymo to scale far faster than in the early days.
“The Waymo Driver is increasingly capable and generalizable, and we’ve been able to expand to each new city quicker than the last,” said Waymo spokesperson Ethan Teicher. (via CNBC)
This week’s update follows another announcement just days earlier, when Waymo revealed that fully driverless testing will begin soon in Dallas, Houston, San Antonio, Miami, and Orlando. Public service in those cities is expected to open next year. Add in previously announced markets—Detroit, Denver, Las Vegas, Nashville, San Diego, Washington, D.C., and even London—and Waymo’s 2026 expansion list already sits at 15 cities.
But before committing Minneapolis, Tampa, or New Orleans to the same timeline, the company says it must validate performance in each location. “2026 is very much on the table, but we’ll be led by our safety framework,” Teicher explained.
Preparing for Snow, Freeways, and Tougher Conditions
Minneapolis represents an important testbed as Waymo edges closer to operating in true winter climates. Until now, most deployments have occurred in temperate regions, but the company says its technology is nearly ready for harsher conditions.
“We currently operate at freezing temperatures, including with frost and hail, and we’re validating our system to navigate harsher weather conditions,” Teicher said, adding that the rollout will begin with smaller fleets that grow over time.
The company also recently unlocked freeway driving across Phoenix, Los Angeles, and San Francisco—an achievement long viewed as one of the most difficult challenges for any robotaxi provider due to high speeds and fast-moving traffic.
