Waymo to launch robotaxi service in Washington, D.C., in 2026

Waymo said Tuesday it will begin offering robotaxi rides via the Waymo One app in Washington, D.C., in 2026. Before it can launch commercially, the company will have to up its lobbying game in the capital, where autonomous vehicle permits still require a human behind the wheel. The news from Waymo comes as the Alphabet-owned company aggressively expands its robotaxi coverage to cement its lead ahead of potential competitors like Amazon’s Zoox and Elon Musk’s Tesla. Musk said Tesla will launch a robotaxi service in Austin this summer and California at some point this year. Waymo already operates a commercial service in Phoenix, Los Angeles, the Bay Area, and more recently Austin, in partnership with ride-hail firm Uber. Waymo also intends to launch a robotaxi service via Uber in Atlanta this year and has already begun ferrying employees in fully autonomous vehicles in the city. Miami is next on Waymo’s public launch list for 2026, alongside Washington, D.C. To raise even more enthus ... Read full article.