Robotaxis are on the rise – Tesla, Waymo and Zoox reveal expansions plans, here's what's coming

• Tesla opens up its Robotaxi app to the general public
• Zoox offers public rides in San Francisco
• Waymo is expanding to five new US cities… and beyond

It is becoming increasingly likely that the next cab you flag down may well arrive without a driver at the wheel, as some of the biggest names in fully autonomous ride-hailing services have announced bold plans to expand their operations.

Waymo already has a live service that is open to the public in Phoenix, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Austin and Atlanta, but it has stated that five new major cities will come online later this year, with full public access in 2026.

These locations include Miami, Dallas, Houston, San Antonio and Orlando, which will see Waymo complete the “Texas Triangle” — or a region that covers the five largest cities in the area.

The expansion comes just after the announcement that Waymo has also started offering fully autonomous trips on freeways in Phoenix, San Francisco and Los Angeles, which theoretically allows it to compete with human-driven cabs on much longer trips.

Another robotaxi developer, Zoox, has also said that it has opened a wait list for public riders in San Francisco. Unlike Waymo, which currently uses converted Jaguar I-Pace models, Zoox uses a purpose-built platform.

These look more like autonomous pods on wheels, rather than a traditional passenger cars and, as a result, they have been designed to be as spacious and practical as possible.

The company is already operating in Las Vegas, but the opening of its "Explorers Program" in San Francisco means some members that previously signed up to a waitlist have been invited to schedule their first ride.

Tesla plays catch up

Elon Musk has been banging the drum for autonomous ride-hailing for years now, claiming that his Robotaxi service will be a key driver of profits in the not-so distant future.

While the service has been relatively slow to start, only operating in a small area of Austin, Texas and often with safety drivers behind the wheel, it looks to be making progress, as Tesla has now opened the service up to anyone and everyone... well, almost.

All you need is the app that, for now, is only available via Apple’s App Store and requires the iOS platform to operate… so only iPhone users need apply.

But the move signals Musk’s intent on expanding the operation and playing catch-up with the other big names on the scene.

However, Waymo looks to be expanding its operation at a lightning-fast rate, rapidly becoming a market leader.

Earlier this year, it announced that its services will soon be available in London and other cities around the world, making it a difficult company to catch.

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