Waymo starts operating driverless cars in Miami

Waymo, Alphabet’s autonomous vehicle unit, has started operating fully driverless cars in Miami as part of its ride-hailing service expansion.

The company plans to extend operations to its employees in Dallas, Houston, San Antonio, and Orlando in the coming weeks, with a public launch expected in 2026.

Waymo, spun out from Google’s self-driving project in 2016, currently operates over 1,500 vehicles and is the only provider in the US offering paid robotaxi rides without safety drivers or in-vehicle monitors.

Competitors such as Tesla and Amazon’s Zoox are also investing in autonomous vehicle technology.

Robotaxi companies have faced increased scrutiny after several incidents, but operators anticipate that expanded services and improved safety data could help reduce regulatory hurdles.

🔗 Source: Reuters

🧠 Food for thought

Implications, context, and why it matters.

Waymo data finds fewer serious incidents than humans though rules stay uncertain

Through June 2025 Waymo logged more than 96 million rider-only miles (no safety driver onboard) 1. It recorded 91% fewer serious injury crashes, 79% fewer airbag deployments, and 80% fewer injury crashes versus humans 1
A study of 45 major Waymo crashes found most came from other drivers 2. 24 were hits on a stopped Waymo, and 7 were rear-ends while moving
In San Francisco and Phoenix results clear the statistical bar 3. Any-injury rates were 0.41 per million miles for Waymo versus 2.80 for humans, a 6.7 times higher rate
Regulatory scrutiny still follows incidents by city and state officials

Win early charging and service deals in Waymo cities

Florida Department of Transportation will open a Request for Applications (RFA) for electric vehicle (EV) charging on Alternative Fuel Corridors (federally designated highway routes supporting non-gasoline fuels) 4. Applicants must register in MyFloridaMarketPlace, the state procurement portal
Davie and Bay Harbor Islands in Florida seek bids for EV charging at public sites with Public-Private Partnership (P3) options 5 6
Waymo plans an employee launch in Orlando before service, so operators (companies that build and run charging sites) who win city deals can line up for fleet work
The company runs a fleet of more than 1,500 cars. It needs reliable charging and maintenance. That favors vendors with networked systems plus fleet experience