Self-Driving News
Waymo will deploy self-driving rideshare service in Dallas
Waymo car
Google's self-driving ride-hailing service is about to self-drive into Dallas: Called Waymo, and formerly known as the Google Self-Driving Car Project, it's coming to Dallas in 2026.
Waymo is a ride-hailing service that uses self-driving vehicles, using sensors such as radar, cameras, and software. The concept was founded in 2009, then launched its first city in Phoenix in 2018, followed by other cities that include San Francisco, Los Angeles, and Austin, where it launched in March.
In Dallas, they'll partner with Avis, according to a release — offering their ride-hailing service through the Waymo app, with a fleet managed through a new multi-year partnership with Avis Budget Group, whose expertise will help Waymo scale the Waymo Driver even faster.
Avis will provide end-to-end fleet management services, including infrastructure, vehicle readiness, maintenance, and general depot operations.
“Our partnership with Waymo marks a pivotal milestone in our evolution, from a rental car company to a leading provider of fleet management, infrastructure and operations to the broader mobility ecosystem,” said Brian Choi, Chief Executive Officer, Avis Budget Group. “Together, we’re committed to making scaled autonomous mobility a reality for the people of Dallas, with plans to expand to additional cities in the near future.”
Dallas' downtown metro area is considered well suited for Waymo's 24/7 autonomous ride-hailing service. They also aim to improve road safety and partner with the city of Dallas on its "Vision Zero" plan to eliminate all traffic-related deaths and reduce severe injury crashes by 50 percent by 2030.
"The data to date shows Waymo is already making streets safer in the cities where we operate, and we look forward to bringing that safety benefit to Dallas roads," Waymo says.
Waymo currently serves more than 250,000 paid trips and drives millions of miles every week across five cities. Dallas is one oon a list of cities where Waymo will be deploying fully autonomous vehicles next year that also includes Miami and Washington, D.C.
"We look forward to bringing our fully autonomous ride-hailing service to the people of Dallas next year, offering a new era of safe and seamless transportation," said Tekedra Mawakana, Waymo co-CEO.
