Waymo said it plans to expand its autonomous ride-hailing operations to Sacramento, California, and Boston, Massachusetts, as the company continues to scale its robotaxi network across the United States.
The company confirmed the plans this week, saying it would begin laying the groundwork for future autonomous services in both cities. Waymo already operates fully driverless robotaxi services in several major U.S. markets, including Phoenix, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Austin, Miami and Atlanta. It said it has completed more than 20 million fully autonomous rides to date and is currently providing about 400,000 driverless trips each week.
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In Sacramento, Waymo will start with a learning and mapping phase, deploying a fleet of all-electric Jaguar I-PACE vehicles that will initially be driven manually. The vehicles will collect detailed mapping and road data, allowing Waymo’s autonomous driving system, known as the Waymo Driver, to adapt to local traffic patterns, road layouts and environmental conditions before any fully driverless service is launched.
The company is also preparing to re-enter Boston, where it previously conducted early testing. Waymo said those trials provided insights into the city’s complex driving environment, including narrow streets, cobblestones, roundabouts and winter weather conditions. However, the rollout of a commercial robotaxi service in Boston will depend on regulatory changes at the state level.
“Before offering fully autonomous rides to Bostonians, we’ll first need the state to legalize fully autonomous vehicles,” Waymo said, according to CBS.
See also: U.S. Safety Regulator Probes Waymo Self-Driving Car After Child Collision Near School
Waymo has highlighted its readiness for cold-weather operations, saying its autonomous technology has been extensively tested in snowy conditions to ensure reliable performance throughout the year.
The planned expansion into Sacramento and Boston forms part of Waymo’s broader growth strategy. The company has previously identified additional U.S. markets including Dallas, Denver, Las Vegas and Washington, D.C., as well as international locations such as London and Tokyo, as potential future destinations for its autonomous ride-hailing service.
