Waymo Expands Robotaxi Service Across US and Abroad with $16B in Funding

Autonomous driving company Waymo plans major growth despite regulatory hurdles and cost challenges.

Published on Feb. 8, 2026

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Waymo, the self-driving car company owned by Alphabet, has secured $16 billion in funding to fuel its expansion of commercial robotaxi services across the United States and internationally. The company now operates in six major U.S. markets and has plans to launch in over a dozen new cities globally this year, including London and Tokyo. However, industry experts caution that profitability remains a challenge as Waymo must solve issues around cost and increasing regulatory scrutiny.

Why it matters

Waymo's rapid growth highlights the race to develop viable autonomous vehicle technology, but the company still faces significant hurdles to turn its robotaxi business into a sustainable and profitable model. The funding injection from Alphabet underscores the company's strategic importance, but questions remain about Waymo's ability to scale cost-effectively and navigate the complex regulatory landscape around self-driving cars.

The details

Waymo has seen its ridership and autonomous miles driven statistics explode in recent years, more than tripling its annual ride volume to 15 million in 2025 across its six U.S. markets. However, the company must still solve problems around cost and increasing attention from regulators, who are closely scrutinizing the safety and oversight of autonomous vehicles. Waymo's chief safety officer recently testified before the U.S. Senate Commerce Committee on these issues. The company may also need to shift away from being the sole operator of its robotaxi service and instead focus on licensing its autonomous driving technology to other partners, which could mean giving up some control over the business.

  • Waymo now operates commercial robotaxi services in six major U.S. markets.
  • Waymo plans to launch its robotaxi service in over a dozen new cities globally this year, including London and Tokyo.
  • In 2025, Waymo more than tripled its annual ride volume to 15 million across its six U.S. markets.

The players

Waymo

An American autonomous driving company and a subsidiary of Alphabet Inc., Google's parent company.

Alphabet Inc.

The parent company of Google and the primary investor in Waymo.

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What they’re saying

“We must not let individuals continue to damage private property in San Francisco.”

— Robert Jenkins, San Francisco resident (San Francisco Chronicle)

The takeaway

Waymo's rapid expansion of its robotaxi service highlights the intense competition in the autonomous vehicle space, but the company still faces significant challenges around cost, regulation, and the transition from being an operator to a technology licensor in order to achieve long-term profitability.