Waymo has thrown open its driverless ride-hailing service to everyone in San Antonio, San Diego and Tampa, ending the invitation-only phase that had rationed access in those markets for months. Since October 14, 2026, anyone in the three cities can download the Waymo app and hail a fully autonomous robotaxi, and in San Antonio that now includes trips to and from San Antonio International Airport. The move turns three pilot-style rollouts into full commercial robotaxi services and adds another airport to the company's growing network.
From Waitlist to Open Access
The three cities came into Waymo's network at different times this year. San Antonio was part of a four-city launch on February 24, 2026, alongside Dallas, Houston and Orlando. At that point Waymo's commercial footprint reached 10 metro areas, but riders were let in gradually. Invitations went out on a rolling basis to a subset of the tens of thousands of people who had downloaded the app.
San Diego and Tampa followed on September 1, in a round that also included Denver and brought Waymo's fully autonomous footprint to 14 US cities. Tens of thousands of people had signed up in each of those markets before launch, but access was again rationed through rolling invitations. Denver was not part of this week's full public opening.
According to Waymo, the service has carried "hundreds of thousands" of riders across San Antonio, San Diego and Tampa since the earlier launches. The company did not give an exact figure. It said riders have used the cars for everyday trips such as beach outings, hockey games, visits to San Antonio's Riverwalk and grocery runs.
Airport Rides and Accessibility
The San Antonio airport is the clearest operational milestone in the announcement. Airport pickups and drop-offs involve congested curbs, rules about where vehicles may wait, and a lot of passengers with luggage. They are a demanding test for an autonomous system and a valuable revenue stream for any ride-hail operator.
Jesus Saenz, San Antonio's Director of Airports, framed the launch as part of the city's push to build "the airport of the future," and called it a significant milestone for Waymo, the city and travellers.
Waymo also leaned on accessibility partners to make its case:
- Bob Kelly, founder and CEO of the San Diego Seniors Community Foundation, described transportation as "the lifeline of independence for older adults."
- Scott Young, board chair of Tampa's Lighthouse for the Blind & Low Vision, said transportation is the biggest barrier to independence for the organisation's clients, many of whom can no longer drive.
These endorsements reflect a deliberate strategy. Waymo has made mobility for seniors and people with disabilities a central argument for robotaxis, and it plays well with city officials who decide on permits and curb access.
A Bigger Fleet and a Cheaper Vehicle
The expansion is backed by a fleet that, according to TechCrunch's reporting on the September launches, has grown to more than 4,000 vehicles. Most are Jaguar I-Pace SUVs, but the company is adding its new Ojai minivan. The Ojai is built by Zeekr and runs Waymo's sixth-generation driver. It was designed to be cheaper to build, operate and maintain. At the time of the September launch, the Ojai fleet numbered about 300 vehicles, and it was the only model offered to riders in Denver and San Diego.
The cost of each vehicle matters a great deal for robotaxi economics. A lower-cost platform makes it easier to add capacity in new cities without the per-unit cost that has long limited autonomous fleets.
Waymo has also published safety figures to back its expansion. With its September launches, the company said the Waymo Driver was involved in 94% fewer serious-injury-or-worse crashes than human drivers under comparable conditions. These are Waymo's own statistics. Earlier in the year, Waymo co-CEO Tekedra Mawakana said the company was on track to serve more than one million rides per week by the end of 2026.
Why It Matters
Opening the doors to the general public is the step where a robotaxi programme stops being a controlled trial and becomes a real transportation service. Waitlists let an operator limit demand, tune routing and fix problems with a hand-picked group of riders. Full public access tests whether the system can cope with unpredictable demand, peak-hour surges and airport traffic without human backup.
The launch also lands in a heated competitive moment. Waymo's approach of expanding city by city, ending waitlists only once operations are proven, contrasts with rivals that announce expansions faster but at smaller scale.
A few takeaways for the industry:
- Scale is now the battleground. With 14 US cities and a fleet above 4,000, Waymo is moving from proving the technology to proving the business.
- Airports are strategic. Reliable airport service is a high-value niche that human ride-hail drivers have long dominated.
- Cheaper hardware decides the pace. How quickly the Ojai fleet grows will largely determine how quickly Waymo can open more markets.
If Waymo reaches its goal of a million weekly rides by year-end, October's public openings will be an important part of that total.
