ORLANDO, Fla. — Central Florida residents and visitors will soon be able to hail self-driving taxis.
Waymo — the first autonomous ride-hailing service — has announced that the service is expanding to five new cities in the coming weeks: Miami, Dallas, Houston, San Antonio, and Orlando.
According to the company, operations started in Miami on Tuesday and will start in the other four cities in the coming weeks, “ahead of opening our doors to riders next year.”
According to the company, the Waymo Driver optimizes AI technology to create a new ride-share experience for customers getting to their destinations.
“We compare our driving performance against a proven baseline to validate the performance of the Waymo Driver and identify any unique local characteristics,” the company said in a statement on its website. “As needed, we then refine the Waymo Driver’s AI to navigate these local nuances—which are becoming fewer with every city. This data feeds into a flywheel of continuous improvement, bolstered by rigorous validation through real-world driving and advanced simulation, then implemented through regular software releases. The result is that all of our riders experience consistent, high-quality service with the highest safety standards.”
Waymo is currently serving riders in:
Atlanta, Ga.
Austin, Texas
Los Angeles, Calif.
Phoenix, Ariz.
San Francisco Bay Area, Calif.
“We haven’t just built the technology; we’ve developed the definitive playbook for operating autonomous fleets, across dozens of sites, and industry-leading end-to-end rider support. And we’re teaching our partners how to operate autonomous fleets at scale, creating new economic opportunities while bringing the safety benefits of Waymo to more people,” the Waymo statement said.
The company plans to continue expansion to other cities in the U.S. and around the world. Those areas include:
Denver, Colo.
Detroit, Mich.
Las Vegas, Nev.
Nashville, Tenn.
San Diego, Calif.
Washington, D.C.
London, U.K.
“The future of transportation is accelerating, and we are driving it forward with a commitment to quality and safety,” the statement said. “Our rigorous process of continuous iteration, validation, and local engagement ensures that we put communities first as we expand. This commitment is how we will continue to bring the safe, reliable, and magical ride-hail experience to more Waymo riders around the globe. We look forward to welcoming you aboard.”
To learn more about the autonomous ride service, visit the Waymo website.