Dec. 5 (UPI) — Residents and visitors to Miami will have the option to hail Waymo’s driverless autonomous electric robotaxis in 2026.
“Waymo’s autonomous driving technology offers an opportunity to provide safer, more accessible all-electric mobility to Miami’s residents and tourists,” Waymo officials said Thursday in an online announcement. “In early 2025, we’ll begin re-acquainting Waymo’s all-electric Jaguar I-PACEs to Miami’s streets.”
Waymo said it has addressed potentially rainy conditions in the greater Miami area to help ensure safety and efficiency in its driverless ride-hailing service.
The expansion also gives those in Miami a sustainable transportation option.
“Fully autonomous driving technology offers a safe and convenient option to the people of Miami,” Miami Mayor Francis Suarez said. “Waymo’s commitment to sustainability with their all-electric fleet is the perfect mobility option to our city as we continue to prioritize low-cost, clean energy.”
Waymo currently provides more than 150,000 trips every week in Phoenix, Los Angeles, San Francisco and Austin, Texas. It also recently expanded operations into Atlanta with the help of Uber.
Uber has partnered with Waymo to provide ride-hailing robotaxi services in several cities, but Waymo did not indicate whether or not Uber would help facilitate the expansion into Miami.
Waymo’s fleet services partner Moove will take manage Waymo’s Phoenix operations while the company focuses on its expansion in Miami over the next year.
“This strategic partnership is designed to maintain and enhance the clean, consistent experience that our riders have come to expect and rely on,” Waymo said of its partnership with Moove.
When the service is operational in Miami, people can use a mobile app to hail rides in the driverless electric vehicles.
Waymo is a pioneer in robotaxi services but has encountered problems.
Waymo in June recalled the software in its self-driving vehicles after one in May struck a utility pole in Phoenix when trying to pull over.
The robotaxi was not carrying any passengers and did not harm any bystanders when it struck the wooden utility pole.
Waymo said a defect it its software caused the vehicle to react improperly when it encountered the utility pole that is not separated from the roadway by a curb.
The incident caused Waymo to recall all of its 672 robotaxis to update their software.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration this summer investigated more than two dozen Waymo robotaxi incidents,including potential traffic violations and crashing into stationary objects.
Waymo competitor Argo A1 in 2022 announced the launch of its robotaxi services in Miami and Austin, but that company later shut down after experiencing trouble attracting investors.