Waymo expands driverless ride-hailing service to Austin, becoming the latest city for its robotaxis

Waymo is bringing its autonomous ride-hailing service Waymo One to Austin, starting in the fall with safety drivers and eventually transitioning to fully driverless operations.
Waymo has been testing its self-driving vehicles in Austin since 2015 and sees it as an ideal next location given the city's growth and dense population.
The launch puts Waymo in direct competition with other companies like Cruise that already operate autonomous ride-hailing pilots in Austin.
Waymo aims to cover major parts of Austin initially, while some TikTok users have shared their experience and excitement over riding in the driverless taxis.
The expansion to Austin reflects Waymo's broader shift towards focusing on and generating revenue from its robotaxi service.