Waymo is currently providing over 200,000 paid rides weekly across its existing cities, doubling its volume from August 2024, and booked over 4 million rides in 2024. Despite not sharing revenue details, Forbes estimated Waymo's revenue at about $100 million last year. The Austin launch precedes Elon Musk’s planned autonomous Tesla ride service in the city. Unlike Tesla, which uses only cameras for its autonomous vehicles, Waymo employs a combination of sensors, including lidar and radar, and has not had any fatal accidents in autonomous mode. Waymo plans further expansion to Miami in 2026.
Key takeaways:
- Waymo has expanded its robotaxi business to Austin, Texas, where rides can be booked exclusively through the Uber app, with Uber also handling fleet operations and maintenance.
- Waymo plans to launch a similar partnership with Uber in Atlanta later this year and expand to Miami in 2026.
- Waymo's robotaxi fleet currently includes about 700 vehicles, primarily modified Jaguar I-Pace SUVs, and plans to add Zeekr electric vans and test Hyundai Ioniq 5 hatchbacks with next-generation sensors.
- Waymo has provided over 4 million rides in 2024 and is estimated to have generated about $100 million in revenue last year, while Tesla's autonomous service has faced safety challenges.