Waymo, Alphabet’s autonomous driving unit, has surpassed 100 million miles driven without a human behind the wheel, doubling its milestone in just six months. The company, which began as Google’s self-driving project in 2009, currently operates in cities like San Francisco, Los Angeles, Phoenix, Austin, and Atlanta, with plans to expand into Washington, D.C., and New York. According to Waymo’s chief product officer, Saswat Panigrahi, the achievement marks a transition from years of gradual development to a phase of “rapid, responsible scaling.”
The announcement comes as Tesla accelerates its own robotaxi rollout, following a small pilot in Austin using a dozen Model Y SUVs. Tesla CEO Elon Musk has promised a broader U.S. launch by the end of 2025, though the company has encountered driving errors and collisions. Until recently, Waymo was the only U.S. firm offering fully autonomous rides to paying customers, setting it apart in an industry challenged by high costs, stringent regulations, and safety concerns.
Other players in the field include Amazon’s Zoox, which is testing a unique vehicle without manual controls and aims to launch in Las Vegas this year. However, several autonomous vehicle projects, such as General Motors’ Cruise, have been forced to halt operations due to federal investigations and safety issues. Waymo, Tesla, and Zoox have all faced scrutiny, including recalls and accident probes, highlighting the challenges of commercializing driverless technology.
Despite setbacks across the industry, Waymo continues to expand its reach and service capabilities. The company now logs over two million autonomous miles weekly and has completed over 10 million paid rides, doubling from 5 million trips at the end of 2024. While Tesla is ramping up quickly with bold promises, Waymo remains cautious and methodical, building out its infrastructure and regulatory compliance for long-term sustainability in the robotaxi space.