Waymo, the autonomous driving company under Google, is accelerating its robotaxi expansion strategy and plans to deploy an additional 2,000 autonomous vehicles by 2026, according to a report by IT outlet The Verge on Monday.
Currently, Waymo operates 1,500 Jaguar I-Pace robotaxis in San Francisco, Los Angeles, Phoenix, and Austin, recording 250,000 paid passenger rides annually. With the upcoming expansion, the total fleet will grow to 3,500 robotaxis.
In 2023, Waymo retired its fleet of Chrysler Pacifica minivans and adopted the Jaguar I-Pace as its primary model. Although it fell short of its initial goal of 20,000 vehicles, the company is now testing new models such as the Hyundai IONIQ 5 and Zeekr RT minivan.
Waymo is manufacturing its robotaxis at a plant in Mesa, Arizona, in collaboration with Magna International. Starting in 2026, it plans to equip the Zeekr RT with its sixth-generation Waymo Driver. Zeekr is a subsidiary of China’s Geely Auto Group, with vehicles designed in Sweden and imported to Arizona for integration with autonomous driving technology.
Waymo’s expansion plans coincide with Tesla’s efforts to launch robotaxi services in Texas and California. The company is also exploring the potential for selling personal-use autonomous vehicles in partnership with Toyota. Industry experts predict that Waymo’s aggressive growth will reshape the landscape of the autonomous driving market.
