Waymo Expands Driverless Robotaxi Tests to Austin Highways

The self-driving car company is now offering employee-only rides on freeways as it ramps up service in the city.

Published on Feb. 25, 2026

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Waymo, the autonomous driving company owned by Google's parent Alphabet, has announced that it has started testing its driverless robotaxis on highways in the Austin, Texas area. The employee-only tests on local freeways come as Waymo expands its robotaxi service in the city, with plans to open the service to the public through a partnership with Uber. Waymo already operates in several other major U.S. cities and has faced some scrutiny in Austin over incidents involving its vehicles illegally passing stopped school buses.

Why it matters

Waymo's expansion into Austin highways is a significant milestone in the company's efforts to scale up its driverless technology and robotaxi service. As competition heats up with other autonomous vehicle companies like Tesla, Waymo's ability to safely and reliably operate on freeways will be crucial to its long-term success. The move also raises questions about the integration of self-driving cars into existing transportation infrastructure and how to address safety concerns, such as the reported incidents with school buses.

The details

Waymo's employee-only highway tests in Austin will allow the company to gather feedback and refine its technology before opening the service to the general public. The company already operates driverless vehicles in other major markets like Phoenix, San Francisco, and Los Angeles. In Austin, Waymo has a fleet of over 200 vehicles operating across more than 140 square miles. The expansion to highways comes as Tesla has also been spotted testing its Cybercab autonomous vehicles on Austin-area freeways.

  • Waymo announced the start of its employee-only highway tests on February 25, 2026.
  • Waymo has been operating its robotaxi service in Austin for nearly a year.

The players

Waymo

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

Tesla

An Austin-based automaker that has also been testing its Cybercab autonomous vehicles on local highways.

Austin ISD

The local school district that has raised concerns about Waymo vehicles illegally passing stopped school buses.

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What they’re saying

“Like other expansions to our operations, we're following the same processes outlined by our safety framework, informed by years of safe and proven experience operating fleets of rider-only vehicles on public roads across California and Arizona and millions of miles of experience.”

— Waymo spokesperson (statesman.com)

What’s next

Waymo plans to open its robotaxi service to the general public in Austin through a partnership with Uber in the coming months.

The takeaway

Waymo's expansion of its driverless technology to Austin highways represents a significant milestone in the company's efforts to scale up its robotaxi service and compete with other autonomous vehicle providers like Tesla. However, the move also raises ongoing safety concerns that will need to be addressed, particularly around the reported incidents with school buses.