Waymo Surpasses 161 Million Autonomous Kilometers: Robotaxi Picks Up Speed!

Waymo, a subsidiary of Alphabet Inc., has just announced that it has surpassed 100 million fully autonomous miles (approximately 161 million kilometers) without a human driver behind the wheel. It achieved this feat just six months after reaching its previous milestone of 50 million miles. Waymo now drives more than 2 million autonomous miles and provides over a quarter of a million rides each week. In total, it has already completed more than 10 million fully autonomous trips. That's like the average driver driving nonstop for more than 7,000 years!

Saswat Panigrahi, Waymo's Chief Product Officer, described it as the result of years of meticulous work that is now rapidly gaining momentum. According to him, this progress not only expands the service but also improves road safety, as Waymo's autonomous system learns from new environments in different cities.

Expansion into New Areas and Competition

Waymo currently operates its robotaxi service in Phoenix, San Francisco, Los Angeles, and Austin, where it recently expanded its service area from 37 to 90 square miles (approximately 96 to 233 square kilometers). In Austin, the service is available exclusively through the Uber app. It also recently launched the service in Atlanta, where employees are the first to test the rides.

Future plans include Miami, Washington, D.C., and even Tokyo. In Washington, D.C., which receives an average of 13.7 inches (about 35 cm) of snow annually, this will be the first time Waymo faces winter conditions. Local council member Kenyan McDuffie has proposed legislation that would allow driverless autonomous vehicles, opening the door for Waymo in 2026.

The competition is not standing still—Tesla, led by Elon Musk, launched a limited robotaxi service in Austin in June using Model Y vehicles equipped with “Full Self-Driving” software. For now, the vehicles operate with in-car safety supervision and serve only selected investors. Other players such as Zoox and Nuro are also expanding their operations; for example, Zoox is testing in California and Nevada, while Nuro focuses on unmanned vehicles.

Focus on Safety and Recognition

Waymo emphasizes that its technology reduces serious accidents and protects vulnerable road users. According to available data, the system continues to improve in complex urban environments. This year, the company was named “Robot of the Year” at the 2025 RBR50 Robotics Innovation Awards.

This growth is also affecting the traditional automotive industry, which is preparing for a shift in demand toward services rather than car ownership.