Waymo is planning to bring its fully autonomous ride-hailing service to Detroit next year following testing in the city’s streets and other areas around the region.
Part of Alphabet, Waymo, which is based in Mountain View, Calif., also announced an expansion into San Diego and Las Vegas.
In recent years, Waymo has been operating an engineering team in Novi, and has regularly tested its autonomous ride services in the region, including during winter weather to develop capabilities in snow and ice.
“We’ve made great strides in our efforts to operate in heavier snow — including testing in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula — and look forward to the 6th-generation Waymo Driver navigating Detroit streets this winter,” Waymo stated.
During last week’s TechCrunch Disrupt 2025, Tekedra Mawakana, co-CEO of Waymo, said “By the end of 2026, you should expect us to be offering 1 million trips per week.”
Waymo states it will use Jaguar I-Pace and Zeekr RT vehicles in metro Detroit, though in the beginning the cars will have human drivers operate the vehicles manually before switching to autonomous mode.
Beyond daily passengers in metro Detroit, the service will be useful to seniors and people living with physical challenges.
“The Epilepsy Foundation of Michigan celebrates organizations like Waymo, which are leading the way in providing accessible and safe transportation solutions,” says Andrea Schotthoefer, president of the foundation. “Their efforts show what’s possible and inspire collective action toward a future where transportation barriers no longer stand in the way of opportunity and inclusion.”
In recent years, Waymo has tested and then offered autonomous services in San Francisco, Phoenix, Los Angeles, Atlanta, and Austin, Texas.
Other new Waymo markets in 2026 include Denver, Miami, Nashville, London, Seattle, and Washington, D.C.
In addition to Waymo, Zoox operates robotaxi service in Las Vegas, while Tesla is testing autonomous cars in Austin.
For more information, visit waymo.com/.
