On Tuesday, Waymo announced plans to start offering robotaxi rides through the Waymo One app in Washington D.C. by 2026. However, before launching commercially, the company will need to enhance its lobbying efforts in the capital, as current regulations require a human driver to be present in autonomous vehicles.
This announcement comes as Waymo, a subsidiary of Alphabet, actively expands its robotaxi services to maintain its competitive edge against rivals such as Amazon’s Zoox and Elon Musk’s Tesla. Musk has indicated that Tesla plans to launch its own robotaxi service in Austin this summer and in California later this year.
Waymo already provides commercial robotaxi services in Phoenix, Los Angeles, the Bay Area, and more recently, Austin, in collaboration with ride-hailing service Uber. The company also aims to introduce its robotaxi service through Uber in Atlanta this year and has begun transporting employees in fully autonomous vehicles in that city. Additionally, Miami is on Waymo’s agenda for public launches in 2026, alongside Washington D.C.
To further generate interest and visibility, Waymo plans to start mapping 10 cities this year, including Las Vegas, San Diego, and Nashville, which was added to the list on Monday.
The announcement for D.C. follows the launch of a small test fleet of Jaguar I-Pace robotaxis in the area, where the vehicles have been operating manually and testing autonomously with a safety driver onboard. Waymo’s business model hinges on eliminating the human driver from its vehicles, and the company has stated its intention to collaborate with policymakers to revise the district’s permitting regulations to permit fully autonomous vehicles on public roads.
