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Dallas Just Became The Next Battleground In The Robotaxi Revolution

  • Waymo is bringing its paid autonomous ride-hailing service to Dallas in 2026.
  • Avis Budget Group will manage Waymo’s fleet and vehicle maintenance.
  • Dallas plans to eliminate all traffic deaths on city roads by the year 2030.

Tesla’s Robotaxi service may have generated plenty of headlines since launching in a geofenced area of Austin recently, but soon, Waymo will be adding a second Texas city to its program. Already providing more than 250,000 paid trips in Austin and other major US cities every week, Waymo will launch in Dallas next year, showing Tesla a thing or two about how to run a successful robotaxi service.

Rather than going it alone, Waymo is leveraging the operational scale and expertise of Avis to help ensure smooth day-to-day management as it enters a new market. The rental giant will help to manage its fleet operations, as well as infrastructure, vehicle maintenance, and general depot operations.

Read: Tech Founder Predicts The End Of Driving For Your Kids And Maybe You Too

“We look forward to bringing our fully autonomous ride-hailing service to the people of Dallas next year, offering a new era of safe and seamless transportation,” Waymo co-chief executive Tekedra Mawakana said. “Working together with our fleet partner Avis, Waymo will offer more riders a stress-free way to get around.”

The self-driving car division of Alphabet didn’t disclose how much of Dallas will be covered by its robotaxi service. Nevertheless, Waymo says it is confident it can contribute to Dallas’s Vision Zero goal of eliminating all traffic-related deaths and reducing severe injury crashes by 50 percent by 2030.

 Dallas Just Became The Next Battleground In The Robotaxi Revolution

“We are excited that fully autonomous ride-hailing services are scheduled to begin in Dallas next year,” Dallas city manager Kimberly Bizor Tolbert added. “The Waymo and Avis partnership will offer an innovative, technology-based transportation option for our residents and visitors.  We look forward to the launch of this new service.”

Dallas won’t be the end of Waymo’s expansion. The company is reportedly considering launching in Houston and San Antonio in the future. It could also expand into San Diego, Boston, and New York. According to ABC News, Waymo is also eyeing Tokyo as the first market outside of the US for its robotaxis.

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Cop Pulls Over Robotaxi For Illegal Turn But There’s No One Behind The Wheel

  • A Waymo robotaxi initially came to an unexpected stop in the middle of the road.
  • Shortly after the driver of a G-Class approached it, the car made an illegal left turn.
  • When it stopped again, an officer checked it out, but couldn’t hand out a ticket.

A Waymo self-driving robotaxi in Los Angeles recently found itself in a bit of a pickle after stopping abruptly in traffic, making an illegal left turn, and then being pulled over by a police officer in the heart of Los Angeles. While a human driver might have ended up with a ticket, fully autonomous vehicles currently dodge that fate in California since there’s no person behind the wheel to hold accountable.

Read: Waymo’s NYC Debut Comes With Training Wheels

A clip of the incident was recently shared on social media. It shows a white Jaguar I-Pace stopped in the middle of a road in Beverly Hills, much to the dismay of a Mercedes-Benz G-Class driver behind it.

According to the individual filming, the man slapped the rear of the car, either purely out of frustration, or in the hope it would get the car to start moving. Not the most reliable method, but hey, it occasionally works on stubborn toasters at home.

Maybe it did in this case too, because moments later, the robotaxi began moving again. But its next moves didn’t exactly smooth things over. A police officer in a Ford Explorer pulled in behind it, just as the Waymo SUV slipped in front of an electric Mercedes and made an awkward, and illegal, left turn.

After appearing to get confused by the flashing red and blue lights behind it, the robotaxi eventually pulled over to the side of the road.

@kiefer_d_live Replying to @himothee55 I used the song to cover up my hysterical laughter 🫣 #waymo ♬ original sound – Kiefer_D

It’s unclear what happened after the officer stepped out and approached the Jag, but they likely spoke with a human operator over the phone as there was no one onboard at the time.

No Ticket, But Not Off the Hook for Long

In the end, Waymo’s car probably without a ticket. According to The Washington Post, autonomous vehicles are currently exempt from receiving moving violations in California, as these must be issued to a human driver.

However, this policy is set to change. Starting in July 2026, police will be able to issue “notices of autonomous vehicle noncompliance” when a self-driving vehicle breaks the rules of the road. Not a moment too soon, if we may add.

Screenshot TikTok @kiefer_d_live / Waymo

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