Waymo starts driverless rides in Las Vegas, eyes Denver

Waymo has activated fully driverless commercial service in Las Vegas and is preparing to launch the same in Denver, San Diego, and Tampa, marking a significant expansion of its autonomous ride-hailing network. The company announced on Wednesday, July 8, 2026, that vehicles in Las Vegas are now operating with no human safety driver, a milestone that transitions the program from testing to commercial service. The next three cities are slated to follow in the coming weeks.

Initially, the fully autonomous rides in these new markets will be available only to Waymo employees. This employee-only phase is intended for final testing before the service opens to the public. A company spokesperson indicated that public ride-hailing services in Denver are expected to launch later this year, with similar timelines anticipated for the other cities. Interested riders are being directed to download the Waymo app for notifications.

This expansion adds four new cities to Waymo’s driverless footprint, joining existing commercial services in Phoenix, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Austin, Atlanta, Miami, Dallas, Houston, San Antonio, and Orlando. The company, owned by Alphabet, now operates a fleet of...