Waymo, the self-driving tech development unit of Google's parent company, Alphabet, will introduce a commercial robotaxi service in Austin, Texas, marking its fourth major market after Phoenix, San Francisco, and Los Angeles. The initial phase of operations will commence in the upcoming fall (September-November), with public availability to follow in the future.

The service will be available night and day in most areas, including downtown Austin, Barton Hills, East Austin, Hyde Park, and Riverside.

Waymo's approach in Austin will likely follow its usual timelines, involving a phased progression from human-operated test vehicles to remotely monitored driverless vehicles, ultimately leading to public accessibility through its “Waymo One” robotaxi service.

Waymo had previously conducted its first driverless public road test in the city in 2015. The company then tested a fleet of Jaguar I-Pace vehicles equipped with its fifth-generation “Waymo Driver” autonomous driving software in Austin in March 2023 , as well. These tests were not open to the public.

Analyst QuickTake: The move places Waymo in direct competition with Cruise, which also operates a commercial robotaxi service in Austin. Both companies have commercial services in San Francisco, too, with Cruise having recently ventured into Waymo's territory in Phoenix.