Waymo Launches Robotaxi Service in Four New U.S. Cities

Alphabet Inc.'s Waymo unit launched commercial robotaxi services Tuesday in Houston, Dallas, San Antonio and Orlando, Florida, marking a significant expansion of its driverless ride-hailing operations into four new U.S. markets. The rollout begins with fully autonomous vehicles operating without safety drivers in limited zones covering 25 to 60 square miles in each city, initially available only to select users who have downloaded the Waymo app.

In Houston, the service area will encompass the area inside the Loop highway encircling downtown. Dallas coverage will span 50 square miles across downtown and nearby neighborhoods, while San Antonio's 60-square-mile zone includes popular sites like the Alamo. Orlando represents Waymo's second market in Florida, following its January debut in Miami. The company has been testing vehicles in these cities for months and plans to invite additional riders on a rolling basis, with full public access expected later this year.

This expansion brings Waymo's total to 10 major metropolitan areas, including its established operations in Phoenix, the San Francisco Bay Area, Los Angeles, Atlanta and Austin, Texas. In those markets, Waymo's robotaxis...