Alphabet's Waymo Hits 450,000 Weekly Rides, Signaling Robotaxi Growth
The milestone, reported by investor Tiger Global, nearly doubles Waymo's paid trips from earlier this year and intensifies the autonomous vehicle race.
Alphabet’s self-driving technology unit, Waymo, has reportedly reached 450,000 paid rides per week, a significant operational milestone that underscores accelerating consumer adoption in the competitive robotaxi market. The figure, disclosed in a letter from investor Tiger Global, represents a near-doubling of the 250,000 weekly ride figure reported in April 2025, signaling a period of rapid scaling for one of Alphabet's most ambitious long-term investments.
The achievement offers a crucial data point for Alphabet’s ‘Other Bets’ segment, a portfolio of high-risk, high-reward ventures outside of Google's core advertising and cloud businesses. For years, investors have watched this segment, which consistently posts operating losses, for signs of viable commercialization. Waymo's growing ridership across key markets like Phoenix, San Francisco, and Los Angeles suggests its decade-plus of development is translating into tangible market penetration.
Shares of Alphabet (GOOGL) showed little immediate reaction in a mixed market, though the news provides a bullish proof point for the company's multi-billion dollar bet on autonomy. The company's stock currently trades at a forward P/E ratio of approximately 23.3, with analysts maintaining an average target price of $327.51, according to recent market data.
This scaling comes as the autonomous vehicle landscape heats up. Waymo, which operates a fleet of 2,500 autonomous vehicles, is in a fierce race with competitors like Tesla, which has its own robotaxi ambitions, and General Motors' Cruise. The new ridership figures position Waymo as a formidable player in turning self-driving technology into a scalable, revenue-generating service.
A key driver of this growth has been an aggressive geographic expansion. In Austin, Texas, Waymo has more than doubled its service area to 90 square miles since its launch in early 2025. This expansion was bolstered by a strategic partnership with Uber, allowing users to hail a driverless Waymo vehicle directly through the Uber app. By March 2025, Waymo vehicles were already reportedly completing 20% of all Uber trips within their Austin operating zone.
Waymo's total U.S. service area now spans over 700 square miles across its primary markets. The company has also begun mapping and testing in a slew of new cities, including Baltimore, Pittsburgh, and Philadelphia, signaling a clear intent to establish a nationwide footprint. According to one report, the company plans to expand into as many as 10 more U.S. cities, with international tests underway in cities like London and Tokyo.
To support this growth, Waymo is expanding its fleet of all-electric Jaguar I-Pace vehicles and plans to integrate its next-generation hardware into new platforms, such as the Zeekr RT. The company's stated goal is to grow its operational fleet to 10,000 vehicles by 2026, a four-fold increase from its current size.
While the ‘Other Bets’ segment, which includes life sciences venture Verily and internet provider Google Fiber, remains a small fraction of Alphabet's nearly $3.9 trillion market capitalization, Waymo's progress is a critical validator of the parent company's innovation pipeline. As regulatory frameworks for autonomous vehicles mature and public acceptance grows, Waymo's operational lead and deep well of data could provide a significant long-term competitive advantage for Alphabet.