If you ask Tesla CEO Elon Musk, Waymo “never really had a chance” in the robotaxi race.
However, in reality, Waymo is extending its lead over Tesla. The company just launched its autonomous taxi service in Miami, bringing the number of U.S. cities where it operates to six.
Initially, the company will cover a 60-square-mile area of Miami, and Waymo says it plans to expand to Miami International Airport “soon.”
Credit: Waymo
Waymo says the service is fully autonomous, and that 10,000 residents have already signed up, with new riders being invited on a “rolling basis.”
The company currently operates its robotaxi service in Atlanta, Austin, Los Angeles, Miami, Phoenix, and the San Francisco Bay Area. There is, however, a pretty long list of cities which are getting Waymo next, including Dallas, Denver, Detroit, Houston, Las Vegas, Nashville, Orlando, San Antonio, San Diego, and Washington DC in the U.S., as well as London in the UK.
The company also offers a “driving experience” program in a number of other cities, including Boston, New York, and Seattle in the U.S., and Tokyo in Japan.
Meanwhile, Tesla only offers autonomous Robotaxi rides in Austin; in the San Francisco Bay Area, the rides are only available with human “safety monitors” in driver’s seats.
While Waymo is ahead, its autonomous ride-hailing service isn’t entirely without issues. Most recently, Waymo cars stalled and caused traffic jams amidst a San Francisco blackout.
