Alphabet Inc.-backed (NASDAQ:GOOGL) (NASDAQ:GOOG) Robotaxi service Waymo has announced the expansion of its autonomous vehicles in Las Vegas, as well as a 2027 rollout of Waymo vehicles in Tokyo.
Las Vegas Expansion
In an official statement released on Monday, Waymo said that it is rolling out its service in Las Vegas, where a majority of the fleet would comprise the Geely Automobile Holdings Ltd.-backed (OTC:GELHY) (OTC:GELYF) Zeekr‘s co-developed “Ojai” Robotaxis with Waymo’s sixth-generation self-driving suite.
Waymo says the service will be offered in an area spanning nearly 24 miles from Boulder Junction to Sahara Avenue and from Spring Valley to Winchester in Las Vegas. The company said it plans to expand the service to other residents in the Clark County region.
Waymo in Tokyo
In a separate release, Waymo said that the company will be rolling out its unsupervised Robotaxis in Tokyo next year “contingent on securing regulatory approval from national and local authorities, as well as completing the ongoing validation of Waymo’s technology,” the company said.
Waymo had partnered with taxi operator Nihon Kotsu as well as Japanese ride-hailing platform GO. The company says that riders will be able to book rides in Tokyo via the Waymo app, as well as the GO app once the service rolls out.
Notably, Uber Technologies Inc. (NYSE:UBER) also said that it will be expanding and offering Robotaxis on its platform in Japan, with CEO Dara Khosrowshahi saying that Japan has been a “terrific market” for the ride-hailing giant.
The company had signed an operational partnership with Japan’s Hinomaru Kotsu Co. Ltd. to oversee fleet operations in Tokyo as the service eyes a late 2026 launch.
Price Action: Alphabet shares were down 0.95% to $346.08 during overnight trading on Monday.
Check out more of Benzinga’s Future Of Mobility coverage by following this link.
Recent Comments