Autonomous driving pioneer Waymo is significantly scaling up its robotaxi operations, announcing plans to deploy a fleet of 3,500 vehicles by 2026. This expansion includes the addition of 2,000 Jaguar I-Pace SUVs to its current stable of 1,500 robotaxis. Waymo’s existing service operates in San Francisco, Los Angeles, Phoenix, and Austin, with ambitions to extend its reach to Atlanta, Miami, and Washington, DC. The company is also actively evaluating new vehicle models, such as the Hyundai Ioniq 5 and the Zeekr RT minivan, for future deployment. This aggressive growth strategy occurs amidst increasing competition in the autonomous vehicle space, notably with Tesla’s impending robotaxi service launch, and Waymo’s own strategic alliance with Toyota to explore autonomous vehicle sales.