Waymo’s highway driving sets stage for wider robotaxi expansion

Waymo has announced the expansion of its robotaxi services to include freeway driving across the San Francisco Bay Area, Phoenix, and Los Angeles, starting with a limited number of public riders and plans to grow this user base in the coming months. The company has also extended its San Francisco Bay Area service coverage down to San Jose, including curbside pickup at San Jose Mineta International Airport. This marks a shift from Waymo’s previous focus on urban and suburban areas, reflecting over a year of extensive freeway testing. Waymo plans to introduce freeway capabilities to its Austin and Atlanta deployments in the future. Currently, Waymo operates in Phoenix, San Francisco, Los Angeles, and Austin, having driven over 100 million fully autonomous miles and provided more than 10 million paid rides, with weekly figures exceeding 2 million autonomous miles and 250,000 rides. In 2025, Waymo is actively expanding to new cities, announcing upcoming launches in Las Vegas, San Diego, and Detroit with a mixed