- Tesla opens its Robotaxi app to the general public
- Zoox offers public attractions in San Francisco
- Waymo is expanding to five new US cities… and beyond
The next taxi you hail is increasingly likely to arrive without a driver at the wheel, as some of the biggest names in fully autonomous transport services have announced bold plans to expand their operations.
Waymo already has a live service that is open to the public in Phoenix, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Austin and Atlanta, but has stated that five new major cities will come online later this year, with full public access in 2026.
These locations include Miami, Dallas, Houston, San Antonio and Orlando, where Waymo will complete the “Texas Triangle,” or a region covering the area’s five largest cities.
The expansion comes on the heels of Waymo’s announcement that it has also begun offering fully autonomous rides on freeways in Phoenix, San Francisco and Los Angeles, theoretically allowing it to compete with human-driven taxis on much longer trips.
Another robotaxi developer, Zoox, also said it opened a waiting list for public riders in San Francisco. Unlike Waymo, which currently uses converted Jaguar I-Pace models, Zoox uses a purpose-built platform.
They look more like autonomous capsules on wheels than traditional passenger cars and, as a result, have been designed to be as spacious and practical as possible.
The company is already operating in Las Vegas, but the opening of its “Explorers Program” in San Francisco means that some members who previously signed up for a waiting list have been invited to schedule their first trip.
Tesla catches up
Elon Musk has been banging the drum for autonomous transportation for years, claiming that his Robotaxi service will be a key profit driver in the not-too-distant future.
While the start of the service has been relatively slow, only operating in a small area of Austin, Texas and often with safety drivers behind the wheel, it appears to be making progress, as Tesla has now opened the service to everyone… well, almost.
All you need is the app which, for now, is only available through Apple’s App Store and requires the iOS platform to work… so only iPhone users need to apply.
But the move signals Musk’s intention to expand the operation and catch up with the other big names on the scene.
However, Waymo appears to be expanding its operations at a rapid pace, quickly becoming a market leader.
Earlier this year, it announced that its services will soon be available in London and other cities around the world, making it a difficult company to target.
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