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Waymo Expands Robotaxi Service to 15 U.S. Cities, but Fleet Data Shows California and Texas Concentration

Waymo now runs paid robotaxi service in 15 U.S. cities and averages 500,000 weekly rides, but about 80% of its roughly 4,000 vehicles are in California and Texas, where the new Ojai minivan is accelerating fleet growth.

AI News Feed · 2026-09-25 09:10

In September 2024, Waymo operated in only Phoenix, Los Angeles and San Francisco, TechCrunch reported. The company now offers robotaxi service in 15 U.S. cities, with most commercial launches occurring in the past year. Ridership has risen sharply over that period.

The geographic split in the fleet is stark. Around 800 vehicles are spread across cities in other states, including Arizona and Florida, another market where Waymo is expanding. Most of Waymo’s robotaxis are white Jaguar I-Pace electric SUVs, but a growing share are Ojai minivans, a modified Zeekr RT.

Waymo’s concentration in California is not surprising. The company is headquartered in Silicon Valley, and much of its early testing and development work took place there. A segment of the state’s population is also inclined to adopt technology early.

Texas has drawn more recent attention. Waymo increased its Texas fleet by 49% in the past three weeks, according to state vehicle registrations and data from the Texas Autonomous Vehicle Fleet Tracker cited by TechCrunch. As of Sept. 24, Waymo had 1,102 autonomous vehicles registered in Texas. Waymo first launched commercial service in Austin through a partnership with Uber in March 2025, allowing riders to hail robotaxis through the Uber app. It has since expanded in Dallas, Houston and San Antonio.

The Texas fleet was relatively static for most of the summer, rising from about 600 vehicles in June to more than 700 by the end of August. September brought a surge, driven by new Ojai minivans, which now make up about one-third of Waymo’s Texas fleet. TechCrunch reported that the share is expected to grow.

The Ojai is equipped with Waymo’s sixth-generation self-driving system. Its interior is built to withstand heavy use, and it has an upgraded rider interface and Google’s Gemini AI, which acts as an in-car assistant. Beneath that technology, the Ojai is a minivan made by Zeekr, a brand owned by China’s Geely Holding Group, which also owns Volvo. It is built on Zeekr’s SEA-M platform, a shared vehicle platform designed for uses such as robotaxis and delivery vans. The base Zeekr vehicles are shipped to the U.S. without Chinese connected-car technology, then sent to Waymo’s Arizona factory for installation of Waymo’s self-driving system.

Waymo expects the Ojai to lower costs and help it reach profitability. For now, tariffs are reducing any savings. Under current U.S. trade policy, vehicles built in China face steep import tariffs, raising Waymo’s costs for every Ojai it brings into the country. Waymo appears willing to absorb that cost. New York-based research firm MoffettNathanson, which tracks Ojai imports using shipping records, said in its September report that Waymo is on track to bring 5,100 of the vehicles into the U.S. by the end of the year, according to TechCrunch.

Texas is certain to receive more Ojai vehicles. Florida, where Waymo operates in three cities, and newer markets such as Las Vegas will likely see an influx as well, TechCrunch reported.

Editor's Summary

Waymo has expanded its paid robotaxi service to 15 U.S. cities and about 500,000 weekly rides, but roughly 80% of its 4,000 vehicles are in California and Texas. Texas growth is being driven by the Ojai, a Zeekr-built minivan equipped with Waymo’s sixth-generation self-driving system, even as U.S. tariffs raise import costs. Waymo is projected to import 5,100 Ojai vehicles by year-end, with Texas, Florida and Las Vegas among likely destinations.