"Waymo, the Alphabet subsidiary that develops self-driving vehicle tech, has picked up speed. The company now operates robotaxis in six cities and has announced plans to launch in a dozen others this year. It j ust raised $16 billion in a new round of funding and says it has served over 20 million rides since the company launched its service in 2020, 14 million of them in 2025 alone."
"But Waymo 's mostly smooth operations have hit a rough patch in Washington, DC, where the company first began testing in 2024. Despite frequent District sightings of the now-familiar white, electric Jaguars, and despite spending tens of thousands of dollars in payments to at least four outside lobbying firms last year, according to filings, the company's robotaxis are stuck in regulatory limbo. It has no firm debut date in the city, though DC is still listed on its website as launching in 2026."
Waymo operates robotaxis in six U.S. cities and plans launches in many more this year, with additional international plans for London and Japan. The company raised 16 billion dollars and has served over 20 million rides since 2020, including 14 million in 2025. Testing in Washington, DC began in 2024, but regulatory obstacles and lobbying expenditures have not produced a firm debut date, leaving operations in limbo. The lack of federal AV regulations has led companies to seek state-level legislation in at least 22 states, while national hearings emphasize safety and competition concerns.
Read at WIRED
Unable to calculate read time
Collection
[
|
...
]