Austin is the next official market for Waymo's ride-hail service

August 9, 2023: Austin is the next official market for Waymo’s ride-hail service, an announcement on Wednesday stated.

Austin is the fourth major city to allow Waymo’s ride-hailing pilot program, behind Metro Phoenix, San Francisco, and Los Angeles. The program’s “initial phase of operations” will begin in the fall, per the announcement. Still, Waymo will wait to offer rides to the public until a few months later “with fully autonomous deployment.” The company had manipulated early tests in Austin since at least March of this year.

According to a blog post, Waymo’s autonomous ride-hailing service will be available night and day in downtown Austin, Barton Hills, East Austin, Hyde Park, Riverside, and more. The company cited reports of Austin’s fast-growing economy as influential in its decision to expand its services to the city and its dense population, with nearly 2.5 million people in the metro area.

The company has raised at least $5.5 billion in funding since Alphabet set up Waymo as its entity in 2016. Waymo earmarked its latest round, which totaled $2.5 billion from investors, including Alphabet and Andreessen Horowitz, in 2021 for advancing its technology and expanding its team.

In recent years, Waymo and competitors in the self-driving space have waged an uphill battle for adoption amid consumer safety concerns, red tape in cities, and the need for more human safety drivers.

Nearly three years after the departure of Waymo One, Waymo’s fully driverless service, it remains one of only two such services with commercial operations in the U.S. Part of the challenge is due to robotaxi companies’ struggles to land in cities with not only favorable local leadership and regulatory circumstances but also the perfect mix of characteristics, such as road infrastructure, climate, and population.

Waymo announced in late July it would “push back the timeline” on its autonomous semi-truck development and instead focus on independent ride-hailing services. An undisclosed number of layoffs were part of the decision to pause trucking efforts.

Editor's Choice

Posts You Might Like

A Resilient & Innovative Leader | Maushum Basu

Maushum Basu is a visionary leader who inspires his team with a clear, compelling purpose. Unafraid to take calculated risks, he understands that growth often stems from change and innovation. His deep commitment to both Airia Brands, Inc.

Directing with Courage & Precision | Martin Paquette

When speaking with Martin Paquette, one thing is immediately apparent: he’s honest. His transparency is refreshing. While many shy away from such vulnerability, Paquette sees it as a force to reckon with. The incredible emotional intelligence speaks to years of looking within—it’s also what allows him to acknowledge his mistakes gracefully and use them as opportunities to innovate.

An Innovative Thinker | Marina Charriere

Marina Charriere, CEO of Star Drug Testing Services, Star Drug Testing Services (Windsor Park), and First Defence Face Masks go hand in hand. Star is a drug and alcohol testing facility, and First D F M is a face mask company.

A Pioneer of Food Technology | Lejjy Gafour

Lejjy Gafour, CEO, CULT Food Science Corp. Lejjy is a self-taught entrepreneur and experienced company operator who made his start creating opportunities at the young age of 14, and he has been working, leading, and building businesses ever since.

The-corporate-magazine-15

Leave us a message

Subscribe

Fill the form our team will contact you

Advertise with us

Fill the form our team will contact you​