Waymo Completes 10M Robotaxi Rides Despite Competition Shifting Into High Gear
Autonomous rides are doubling down on American roads. Alphabet’s Waymo recently hit a milestone, completing 10M paid robotaxi trips — surging past their previous 5M mark in just five months. This acceleration signals growing consumer comfort with self-driving technology as riders increasingly incorporate these futuristic taxis into their daily routines.
- Waymo now delivers over 250K paid autonomous rides weekly across Austin and Los Angeles, among others, with recent approval to expand further into the San Francisco Bay Area.
- Their co-CEO, Tekedra Mawakana, acknowledged that Waymo hasn’t reached profitability yet, adding that the company is “super focused on building a sustainable business.”
The race is heating up: Tesla plans to launch its robotaxi service in Austin next month with an initial fleet of 10 vehicles, potentially scaling to thousands if the rollout proceeds without incident. Meanwhile, Lyft announced trials in Atlanta through a partnership with May Mobility and plans a separate 2026 rollout using Mobileye Global technology. Internationally, Chinese firms like Pony.ai are experiencing explosive growth, with their robotaxi services revenue surging 200% to $1.7M in Q1 2025. While Waymo leads the pack domestically, competitors are revving their engines to lead the pack.
