Google’s Waymo is expanding its robotaxi service in Austin, Texas, to cover 90 square miles, up from 37 square miles.
The move aims to strengthen its position in the city, where competitors such as Tesla are also testing autonomous vehicles.
The self-driving unit of Alphabet said the expansion will include neighbourhoods like Crestview, Windsor Park, Sunset Valley, and Franklin Park. Waymo currently operates over 100 vehicles through the Uber platform in Austin.
Waymo has about 1,500 vehicles running in cities such as San Francisco, Los Angeles, Phoenix, and Atlanta. It reached 100 million miles of autonomous driving earlier this week, doubling its total in six months.
Tesla began a small trial of robotaxis in Austin last month using about a dozen Model Y vehicles. Unlike Waymo, Tesla does not use radar or lidar, relying only on cameras and artificial intelligence.
Tesla continues to face challenges in scaling the service and navigating regulatory issues. Waymo says Austin is a fast-growing city and that its service will grow with it.
