All articles tagged with #waymo
Tesla has rapidly expanded its driverless Cybercab fleet in Texas, reaching 169 authorized vehicles in Austin since its September 3 launch. While the company faces technical complaints and a federal safety audit, it is preparing to expand into Dallas and other states. Competitor Waymo maintains a significant lead in operational scale and public trust, with 4,000 active vehicles across 15 U.S. markets.
A Waymo autonomous vehicle briefly drove through a Denver South Pearl Street farmers market during setup, prompting vendors and spectators to react and warn others; the car slowed, navigated away from pedestrians, and exited the market area without injuries or damage, with Waymo confirming it was en route to a destination when encountered.
San Diego's city council voted 8-0 to seek local control over Waymo's driverless taxi service after the CPUC approved expansion into the city; the resolution would bar robotaxis from operating at the airport and empower fire and police to track, stop, or move empty vehicles during emergencies amid concerns that autonomous cars could block first responders and impact taxi drivers.
Two juvenile passengers in a Waymo self-driving car in San Francisco were arrested after officers found a loaded AR-style ghost gun, along with marijuana and mace spray; Waymo confirmed the incident, cooperated with police, and the case remains under investigation.
Two minors were arrested in San Francisco after Waymo reported a ghost gun in a self-driving car; police found an AR-style ghost gun without a serial number, along with marijuana and mace spray, during a high-risk stop. Waymo said the vehicle was pulled over for a violation of its terms of service involving a firearm.
Waymo opened its driverless ride-hailing service to the general public in Denver, San Diego, and Tampa, bringing its total to 14 U.S. cities. Thousands on waitlists will be admitted gradually as the Zeekr-built minivan with the next-gen Waymo Driver goes into service. Waymo touts a strong safety record (roughly 94% fewer serious-injury crashes vs. human drivers) and has expanded coverage to over 1,400 square miles, with California approval to operate in 18 counties. The Tampa launch pits Waymo against Tesla’s robotaxi efforts in the same market, illustrating the competitive landscape as Waymo scales toward its goal of 1 million paid rides per week by year-end.
Waymo has begun a phased public rollout of driverless rides in San Diego, offering limited service across roughly 50 square miles and inviting registered riders on a rolling basis; the fleet features the Ojai, Waymo's 6th-generation Waymo Driver, with no human behind the wheel, and riders start trips via a button while staff monitor and adjust as the rollout expands later this month.
An open letter signed by more than 170 Jewish creatives defends Mark Ruffalo against Paramount’s antisemitism accusations tied to media ownership and the Gaza war, arguing that critiquing oligarchy and policy, not Jewish people, is at issue. The article also covers a Waymo contractor’s account of demanding labor at depots, speculation about MrBeast and James Patterson’s collaboration The Most Dangerous Games, and the release of a new Street Fighter trailer.
Waymo’s driverless ride-hailing service starts for the public in Denver within a roughly 60‑square‑mile core area centered on downtown, with rides hailable via Waymo’s app. The initial zone excludes Denver International Airport and some suburbs, and pricing will be dynamic and competitive with Uber/Lyft. The fleet uses Waymo’s newer Ojai vehicles designed for better winter sensing, and Waymo plans public launches in San Diego and Tampa soon after.
Waymo is launching driverless rides in San Diego, Denver and Tampa, while Zoox begins paid testing in Houston and San Diego with human supervisors, broadening the U.S. robotaxi footprint ahead of Tesla’s upcoming disclosures. Waymo operates thousands of AVs across 14 markets and plans to deploy hundreds more in the new cities, aiming for up to 1 million weekly rides by 2026; Zoox currently runs a paid service only in Las Vegas with a free San Francisco program. Goldman Sachs projects the U.S. robotaxi market to reach about $19 billion by 2030 and $48 billion by 2035.
Atlanta rideshare drivers say Waymo’s robotaxi rollout is lowering earnings and increasing wait times, a claim the Atlanta Rideshare Drivers Union says comes from drivers’ reports. The union proposes a $0.50–$1.00 robotaxi impact fee to fund retraining and aid transitions, and even suggests banning robotaxi pickups at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport; Waymo’s service has logged about 5.4 million autonomous miles in the city since its June 2025 launch, amid protests in other cities as well.
Robotaxis are expanding across U.S. cities, but a patchwork of state and local rules, union opposition, and safety concerns are shaping how quickly fleets grow. While companies like Waymo, Zoox, and Tesla push for clearer federal and local oversight and funding for transit and worker retraining, regulators are weighing testing requirements, first-responder coordination, and vehicle-safety standards, all amid worries about jobs, urban mobility, and the pace of deployment.
Waymo wins approval to expand robotaxi service across 18 California counties with full-speed, all-weather operation for most residents, signaling a major scale-up as GM tests hands-off driving in its Cadillac EVs and pushes a unified charging experience via GM Energy; the episode also highlights Gemini AI and a new UI in the Ojai robotaxi.
Waymo’s robotaxis accounted for about 15% of gross ride bookings in San Francisco and Los Angeles, and 16% in Phoenix in June, per Yipit, with shares remaining in the mid-teens as the service expands. The impact on human drivers is likely to show up first in utilization metrics (more idle time, longer waits, fewer trips per hour) rather than outright layoffs, since drivers are flexible independent workers. Measuring displacement is difficult due to data gaps and the gig-economy structure; industry voices suggest a gradual shift toward a hybrid future as AVs scale.
California regulators approved Waymo to expand its robotaxi service to 18 counties, broadening the LA and Bay Area coverage to include San Diego, Sacramento, and more. The rollout will be gradual, with rider-only service planned for San Diego later this summer and deployment using its newer, cheaper Ojai vehicle across northern and southern California. Waymo cites extensive autonomous miles and improved safety, despite ongoing public attention to incidents.