Waymo Expands Robotaxi Service Area in Austin, Outpacing Tesla in Autonomous Ride-Hailing Market

Waymo, Alphabet's self-driving division, is expanding its robotaxi service area in Austin, Texas, from 37 to 90 square miles. The move aims to stay ahead of rivals like Tesla in the autonomous ride-hailing market. Waymo now serves areas like Crestview, Windsor Park, and McKinney Falls State Park, with over 100 vehicles running on Uber's platform. Tesla recently tested supervised Model Y robotaxis in a limited 42-square-mile zone, relying solely on cameras and AI. Analysts estimate Tesla's vertically integrated model could cut per-mile costs by 30% to 40%.

Title: Waymo Expands Robotaxi Service in Austin, Texas

Waymo, Alphabet Inc.'s (GOOG) self-driving division, has expanded its robotaxi service area in Austin, Texas, from 37 to 90 square miles. The move aims to stay ahead of rivals like Tesla Inc. (TSLA) in the autonomous ride-hailing market. Waymo now serves areas such as Crestview, Windsor Park, and McKinney Falls State Park, with over 100 vehicles running on Uber's platform.

Tesla recently tested supervised Model Y robotaxis in a limited 42-square-mile zone, relying solely on cameras and AI. Analysts estimate that Tesla's vertically integrated model could cut per-mile costs by 30% to 40% [2].

Waymo's expansion comes days after Tesla launched a competing robotaxi service in the region. Alphabet's shares were trading 0.4% lower at the time of writing, with retail sentiment around the stock in the 'bullish' territory [1].

Waymo's expansion is part of a broader trend in the autonomous vehicle market, with companies like Uber and Lucid also investing heavily in robotaxis. Uber recently announced a $300 million partnership to deploy more than 20,000 robotaxis over the next six years [3].

Waymo's expansion in Austin is a strategic move to capture a larger share of the growing autonomous ride-hailing market. The company's ability to maintain its lead in this competitive space will depend on its technological advancements and operational efficiency.

References:
[1] https://stocktwits.com/news-articles/markets/equity/waymo-expands-coverage-in-austin-as-competition-with-elon-musk-heats-up/ch8KVwER5p5
[2] https://www.morningstar.com/news/globe-newswire/9496075/unplugged-performance-debuts-the-worlds-first-indestructible-wheel-for-tesla-model-y-tesla-model-3-and-tesla-robotaxi-up-rw-forged-wheel-is-lightweight-maximally-aerodynamic-and-future-proof
[3] https://www.cnbc.com/2025/07/17/uber-lucid-robotaxi-partnership-300-million-20000-nuro.html