Waymo, Alphabet’s autonomous vehicle subsidiary, has achieved a remarkable milestone of 10 million paid driverless robotaxi rides as of May 2025. The announcement, made by co-CEO Tekedra Mawakana, represents a doubling of total rides in just five months across major US cities including Austin, Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Phoenix.

The company’s exponential growth trajectory is evident in its operational metrics. From completing 5 million rides at the end of 2024, Waymo now processes more than 250,000 weekly rides and over a million monthly trips. This surge in adoption demonstrates the increasing public acceptance of autonomous vehicles as a viable transportation option.

Speaking at the Google I/O developer conference, Mawakana emphasised that these achievements represent genuine consumer adoption rather than promotional activities. “These are all paid trips, and they represent people who are really integrating Waymo Driver into their everyday lives,” she stated, highlighting how autonomous rides are becoming integral to daily routines.

At the core of Waymo’s success lies its unwavering commitment to safety and reliability. The company employs a comprehensive “belts and suspenders” approach, utilising multiple sensor systems and sophisticated algorithms to ensure safe operation in complex urban environments. This strategy distinguishes Waymo from competitors who focus primarily on assisted driving features.

The company’s geographical footprint continues to expand, with recent regulatory approval granted for operations throughout the San Francisco Bay Area, including San Jose. Plans for expansion into Atlanta and Miami are already in motion, though financial challenges persist. Despite generating $450 million in revenue during Q1 2025, Waymo reported an operating loss of $1.23 billion, an increase from $1.02 billion in the previous year.

In the competitive landscape, Waymo faces scrutiny from rivals like Tesla, which criticises its multi-sensor approach as unnecessarily complex. However, Mawakana defends the strategy, asserting that comprehensive autonomous capability requires robust systems capable of handling diverse driving conditions without human intervention.

Strategic partnerships play a crucial role in Waymo’s growth model. The company’s collaboration with Uber exemplifies its approach to leveraging existing market infrastructure. This partnership provides immediate access to established customer bases while allowing Waymo to focus on technological development.

Looking forward, each journey contributes to the continuous improvement of Waymo’s autonomous driving system through data collection and algorithm refinement. This iterative process strengthens the technology’s reliability and advances the company’s mission to transform urban mobility.

Source: CNBC