Waymo, the autonomous vehicle company owned by Alphabet, is opening its robotaxi services to the public in Dallas, Houston, San Antonio, and Orlando, marking a significant expansion in its operations. The rollout will begin with select riders who have downloaded the Waymo app receiving invitations to take their first rides, with new riders gradually being added. Waymo has been rapidly expanding its services over the past year, already operating in Phoenix, Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Miami, among other cities.

With a fleet of approximately 3,000 robotaxis spread across multiple markets, Waymo is expecting its ridership to grow even further with the addition of these new cities. The company has raised $16 billion in funding, bolstering its valuation to $126 billion, and plans to launch robotaxi services in more cities this year. Despite facing scrutiny from safety regulators, Waymo co-CEO Tekedra Mawakana remains confident in the company’s goal of serving over one million rides per week by the end of the year and expanding its robotaxi service to more than 20 cities.