Waymo Brings Self-Driving Taxis to Miami

Self-driving taxi company Waymo is adding another location to its growing roster of cities in the United States – Miami, Florida.

A blog on the Alphabet-owned firm’s website revealed: “In early 2025, we’ll begin reacquainting Waymo’s all-electric Jaguar I-Paces to Miami’s streets.”

Waymo has tested in Miami before, hence the reference to the company’s autonomous SUVs “reacquainting” themselves to the city. It’s one of a number of areas across the country that the company has conducted “weather testing,” where its autonomous vehicles (AVs) are exposed to contrasting conditions to see how they react.

A full service and commercial ride-hailing operations, via the Waymo One app, are earmarked for Miami in 2026 – but with a twist on the formula we have become accustomed to so far.

That’s because the company is enlisting the help of Moove, a growing presence in the mobility industry, to help run things. Moove is an African start-up that provides vehicle financing and fleet services, and earlier this year won major financial backing from Uber.

Before becoming involved in Miami, though, Moove will first partner with Waymo in Phoenix, Arizona, where the latter is now well established.

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According to Waymo, Moove will be responsible for the management of fleet operations, facilities and charging infrastructure. The blog explained: “This strategic partnership is designed to maintain and enhance the clean, consistent experience that our riders have come to expect and rely on.”

The news caps a strong year for Waymo, which has capitalized on the trials and tribulations of chief rival Cruise – which is still trying to rebound following the disastrous aftermath of a crash in San Francisco in October 2023 that led to the suspension of all services and a series of fines – to emerge as the clear leader in self-driving taxis in the U.S. 

Over the past few months, Waymo has secured another $5 billion in investment from Alphabet, and also announced a plan to offer its self-driving taxis exclusively on Uber in Austin and Atlanta next year. 

It also agreed a deal with Hyundai to add the Korean automaker’s IONIQ 5 to its robotaxi fleet in 2026.

And arguably most significantly of all, it says it is now providing more than 150,000 trips per week to riders in San Francisco, Phoenix, Los Angeles and Austin. With Miami joining the list, the future looks bright.

Ryan McNamara, vice president of operations at Waymo, said: “We are excited to partner with Moove in Phoenix and later Miami, bringing together their mobility-focused fleet management experience with our growing Waymo One service.

Related:Waymo Secures $5B Investment, Forges Ahead in Self-Driving Taxi Race

“Together, we will provide safe, seamless trips for riders, and scale faster and more cost-effectively over time, with safety continuing to lead the way.”