Waymo has announced an upcoming expansion in Dallas, Texas, and a new partnership with car rental giant Avis to provide fleet maintenance.
While Tesla CEO Elon Musk makes wild claims about its robotaxi covering half of the US population by the end of the year, Waymo is slowly but surely expanding its autonomous ride-hailing service to more markets.
Tesla and Waymo had a brief back-and-forth over the last month regarding expansions of their service areas in Austin.
Now, Waymo announced that it is expanding into Dallas:
Dallas offers a vibrant downtown and bustling metro area well suited for our 24/7 autonomous ride-hailing service. Whether catching a Mavericks’ game, hitting up the multiple arts districts, or tasting your way through the trendy culinary scene, the Waymo Driver offers a convenient, consistent way for both residents and visitors to get around town.
The company has begun testing in the city and plans to launch customer rides in 2026.
Dallas City Manager Kimberly Bizor Tolbert commented on the announcement:
“We are excited that fully autonomous ride-hailing services are scheduled to begin in Dallas next year. The Waymo and Avis partnership will offer an innovative, technology-based transportation option for our residents and visitors. We look forward to the launch of this new service.”
On top of the upcoming expansion of the autonomous ride-hailing, the Dallas area will also include a new partnership with Avis to help manage the fleet:
Waymo will offer our ride-hailing service to the public through the Waymo app, and our fleet will be managed through a new strategic, multi-year partnership with Avis Budget Group, a leading global mobility solutions provider. Avis brings decades of fleet management expertise, a track record of fast, efficient execution, and a commitment to adopting cutting-edge technology, which will help us scale the Waymo Driver even faster. Avis will provide end-to-end fleet management services, including infrastructure, vehicle readiness, maintenance, and general depot operations. This is an exciting initial phase in Dallas, and we intend to expand to more cities together over time.
Brian Choi, Chief Executive Officer of Avis Budget Group, commented on the announcement:
“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. 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.”
Waymo serves over 250,000 paid trips and drives millions of miles every week across five cities: San Francisco, Los Angeles, Austin, Phoenix, and Atlanta.
Dallas now joins Miami and Washington, D.C. in the list of confirmed cities for Waymo’s expansions in 2026
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