Operator strategy, deployment velocity, and fleet reality.

Strategy & Outlook

Waymo remains the clear U.S. commercial robotaxi leader. As of May 13, 2026, Waymo still lists 11 U.S. rider markets: Phoenix, the San Francisco Bay Area, Los Angeles, Austin, Atlanta, Miami, Dallas, Houston, San Antonio, Orlando, and Nashville. Reuters reported May 13 that Waymo is expanding first in Miami, with Austin, Atlanta, Houston, and the San Francisco Bay Area next, and expects to cover more than 1,400 square miles across 11 cities in the coming weeks. NHTSA documents reported by TechCrunch on May 12 show a voluntary software recall covering 3,791 fifth- and sixth-generation ADS vehicles after flooded-road behavior in central Texas, including an empty San Antonio vehicle being swept away; Waymo has issued mitigations and is still developing the final remedy. Company and industry reporting still put Waymo at more than 500,000 paid trips per week, 25M+ total rides, and about 200 million fully driverless miles. The main near-term risk signals are flood/extreme-weather handling, school-bus and Santa Monica NHTSA/NTSB scrutiny, and local public-safety coordination as service areas expand.