The robots are taking over, Dallas. Or rather, the robots are taking over Dallas. Waymo, the autonomous driving division operating under Google’s parent company, Alphabet, has announced this past Tuesday that the company is set to roll out a fleet of autonomous driving vehicles in Dallas and other Texas cities as a part of its “2025 Road Trip.” Reports indicate these driverless vehicles could be hitting the Big D streets as soon as the next few weeks.
The Waymo Background
Waymo originated as the pioneering Google self-driving car project before separating in 2016 to become its own powerhouse entity within Alphabet. Since 2020, Waymo has aggressively expanded its commercial ride-hailing services, establishing autonomous vehicle operations in major U.S. markets including Phoenix, San Francisco, Los Angeles, and Austin.
The Waymo fleet operates using a sophisticated array of sensors—lidar, cameras, and radar—all integrated with AI-driven software – “driven” being the operative word. This setup allows the machines to navigate complex urban environments without human intervention. Furthermore, company has moved into strategic partnerships, integrating its driverless cars into the Uber ride-sharing app in cities like Atlanta and Austin.
Waymo In Dallas
As part of its broader U.S. strategy, Waymo is now aiming its expansion focus at several new, vibrant communities. Dallas joins San Antonio and Orlando on the company’s testing and exploration itinerary.
The company has spent the recent months or so mapping out the area. Dallasites have likely already spotted the white, camera-capped vehicles – operated by employees – meandering Dallas streets to refine its tech. Its Dallas launch will begin with Waymo rides in the downtown area near Dallas Love Field, before expanding into other areas of the city.
Together, Dallas and Waymo will prioritize safety, while providing new and innovative transportation choices for our community,” Dallas City Manager, Kimberly Bizor Tolbert, said in a statement.
Waymo plans to offer its first wave of driverless taxis in Dallas in the next coming weeks, with plans to make the full access through its app early 2026.
“Operations start today in Miami, and will begin in the remaining four cities [Dallas, Houston, San Antonio, and Orlando] over the coming weeks, ahead of opening our doors to riders next year, ” the company stated.
Other Driverless Vehicles in Dallas
Waymo won’t be the only robotaxi service in Dallas. Avride, an autonomous driving service and partnership between Uber and the Austin-based Avride, previously announced its plans to launch its service in Dallas this year.
Lyft is also throwing its hat in the ring, planning to launch its driverless taxi service – a partnership of Lyft, Japan-based Marubeni, and Israel-based Mobileye – in Dallas as soon as next year.