Waymo to Quadruple Robotaxi Fleet to 20,000 Vehicles by End of 2025
Alphabet's self-driving unit plans rapid expansion, fueled by a new $5 billion loan and Chinese-made vehicles.
Waymo is reportedly planning a significant expansion of its autonomous ride-hailing fleet, aiming to reach 20,000 vehicles by the end of 2025. This ambitious growth strategy is intended to support the Alphabet-owned company's nationwide rollout of its driverless services.
Sources familiar with the matter indicate that Waymo intends to double its current fleet to 8,000 vehicles by the close of 2024, a substantial increase from its present level of approximately 4,000. The company's ultimate goal is to reach 20,000 vehicles by the end of the following year.
To finance this expansion, Waymo secured a $5 billion loan earlier this month. The company stated on its website that this funding will "accelerate the continued expansion of our fully autonomous ride-hailing service across the United States and internationally."
Waymo's expansion plans are heavily reliant on the introduction of its "Ojai" vans, a rebranded version of a vehicle manufactured by Zeekr, a subsidiary of China's Geely Holding Group. Waymo imports the vehicle's shell from China and then integrates its proprietary self-driving technology and sensors at a facility in Arizona. It is estimated that Waymo will import about 5,100 Ojai vehicles by the end of 2024, significantly increasing its fleet which currently consists mainly of Jaguar I-Pace SUVs.
The Ojai vehicles are already operating in Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Phoenix, with plans for deployment in additional cities by the end of this year. Waymo is also testing vehicles made by Hyundai as part of a multi-year partnership, with the intention of adding those to its fleet in the future.
The collaboration with Zeekr has attracted scrutiny from U.S. lawmakers and safety experts, who have raised concerns about potential threats to the American auto industry and national security. Current Commerce Department regulations prohibit the import or sale of connected vehicles or self-driving software originating from China or Russia, starting with model year 2027, with a hardware ban set for model year 2030. Legislation to formalize these bans is also progressing in Congress.
A Waymo spokesperson stated that the company "strongly supports" both the Commerce Department's rules and pending congressional legislation, and actively ensures compliance with government regulations. The company declined to comment further on its expansion plans.