Waymo declared on Monday that it plans to roll out its robotaxi service in Detroit, Las Vegas, and San Diego, as the Alphabet-owned company speeds up its expansion efforts.
Following extensive data collection efforts in Denver and New York City, Waymo now sees Detroit as its next challenge, says Jake Tretter, a technical program manager at the autonomous vehicle company. While Waymo anticipates a steady rollout due to its regional experience, Tretter emphasizes that its rideshare service won’t launch instantly.
Although Waymo hasn’t launched commercial operations in Michigan, the tech firm has maintained a presence there since 2016, when it opened an engineering facility in Novi to build prototypes. The site also handles integration work for the Waymo Driver—the company’s proprietary hardware and software system that powers its autonomous vehicles.
Waymo currently holds a license for autonomous ride-hailing in California, but it still needs to secure approval in Nevada and Michigan before offering fully driverless commercial rides. According to a Waymo spokesperson, the company will need a Transportation Network Company permit in Michigan, along with testing authorization from both Nevada’s DMV and its state transportation authority, to begin commercial operations.
Waymo will enter Detroit with a diverse, fully electric fleet, including Jaguar I-Pace models equipped with its fifth-generation Waymo Driver and Zeekr RT vehicles featuring the sixth-generation system.
Across the U.S., the company operates a commercial electric fleet of more than 2,000 vehicles, delivering around 250,000 trips each week.
Waymo intends to utilize public infrastructure where it proves useful and appropriate, though a company spokesperson acknowledged that Detroit’s current resources may not be sufficient to fully support the operation of its all-electric fleet. The company has not specified when customers in all three cities will gain access to its vehicles, but it’s expected to happen sometime next year.
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