Waymo secures SFO testing permit and announces Nashville expansion

On the Dash:

• Waymo secured a permit to test robotaxis at San Francisco International Airport, with a three-phase rollout planned.
• The company announced a Nashville launch next year in partnership with Lyft, allowing riders to hail autonomous vehicles through both apps.
• Waymo has surpassed 10 million paid trips and plans to expand to Miami, Washington, D.C., Dallas, and Denver.

Alphabet’s Waymo is rocketing past the competition, celebrating two major wins in just days. On Tuesday, the autonomous ride-hailing company secured a permit to test its robotaxi fleet at San Francisco International Airport, and on Wednesday, it announced plans to expand into Nashville.

San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie announced the signing of the permit, which comes six months after Waymo was approved to begin mapping SFO’s roadways. The company plans a three-phase rollout: first, the fleet will operate around the airport with human safety drivers; next, the fleet will operate without human drivers for designated passengers, including Waymo and airport employees; finally, after successful testing, the fleet will be available to pick up and drop off regular passengers. No official date has been set for the full rollout.

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The launch is a significant win for Waymo, as there has been strong and evident demand from travelers at SFO airport. In its “Tourism Impact Report,” the company found that in December 2024, 13,366 customers searched for SFO in the app, and 718 installed the app while physically at the airport. This data highlights the location’s potential as a key driver of growth for the company.

Waymo also announced on Wednesday that it will launch its robotaxi service next year in Nashville through a partnership with Lyft. Riders will be able to hail vehicles through either the Waymo One or Lyft app. The announcement sent Lyft’s stock soaring 20%.

In May, Waymo surpassed 10 million driverless rides, rocketing past competitors such as Tesla’s Robotaxi and Amazon’s Zoox. The company also plans future expansions into Miami, Washington, D.C., Dallas and Denver.