By David Welch | Bloomberg
Waymo, the robotaxi business of Google parent Alphabet Inc., plans to launch service in Washington, DC, next year, a move that would effectively give US lawmakers and other officials more exposure to self-driving cars as they mull a framework for federal standards.
The company said Tuesday that pending approval it will debut commercial autonomous ride-hailing service in the nation’s capital in 2026 after being rolled out in Atlanta and Miami later this year. Waymo currently operates in San Francisco and parts of Los Angeles, Phoenix, Austin and Silicon Valley.
The expansion comes as the Trump administration is planning to develop federal standards for testing and operating self-driving vehicles. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration currently permits manufacturers to deploy 2,500 driverless vehicles per year under a granted exemption.
Tesla Inc. Chief Executive Officer and key White House adviser Elon Musk has called for national standards that would supersede a patchwork of state rules on self-driving vehicle testing and operation.
Related Articles
East Bay advanced manufacturing project moves ahead with property deal
H-1B workers grapple with uncertainty over visa program
Berkeley Lab creates new molecule that could point the way to safe disposal of nuclear waste
Opinion: Banning rent software won’t make East Bay housing more affordable
23andMe bankruptcy announcement sparks data security concerns
Waymo has been steadily pushing ahead with its roll out as the technology improves and local regulators get more comfortable with self-driving cars. The company said it still needs to work with Washington city government for permission to operate without a human driver. It tested robotaxis in Washington a year ago and again earlier this year.
Waymo’s vehicles have controls that could be used by human drivers, like a steering wheel and brake pedals. Operating without that kind of hardware requires special permission from federal regulators. Musk and other autonomous vehicle proponents have pushed for simpler rules and exemptions to restrictions on vehicles that don’t have human controls.
–With assistance from Julia Love.
More stories like this are available on bloomberg.com
©2025 Bloomberg L.P.
