Waymo, Alphabet's autonomous vehicle subsidiary, has announced its plans to launch a robotaxi service in Miami, Florida, by 2026. The company has been testing its autonomous vehicles in the city since 2019 and has recently begun to lay the groundwork for its official launch.

The expansion to Miami marks Waymo's continued growth in the autonomous vehicle market. The company currently operates fleets of driverless cars in San Francisco, Los Angeles, Austin, and Phoenix, and has recently crossed the threshold of providing 150,000 paid trips per week. Waymo also plans to launch a robotaxi service in Atlanta in an exclusive partnership with Uber.

In preparation for its Miami launch, Waymo will begin "reacquainting" its autonomous Jaguar I-Pace vehicles to the city's streets in 2025. The company will partner with Moove, a fleet services company backed by Uber, to manage its fleet operations. Moove will start by taking over Waymo's fleet management operations in Phoenix, including tasks such as cleaning, charging, and calibrating the vehicles' sensors.

Moove, an African company with offices in Nigeria, was recently valued at $750 million. The partnership with Waymo marks a significant expansion of its operations in the autonomous vehicle market. Moove's expertise in fleet management will be crucial in supporting Waymo's growing robotaxi business.

Miami has previously played host to Ford-backed ArgoAI's autonomous vehicle testing, but the company shut down when Ford pulled its funding. Waymo's expansion to Miami signals a new era of autonomous vehicle development in the city.

The growth of Waymo's robotaxi service has significant implications for the future of transportation. As autonomous vehicles become increasingly prevalent, they have the potential to revolutionize the way people move around cities. Waymo's expansion to Miami is a key step in this direction, and the company's partnership with Moove will be crucial in supporting its continued growth.

With its sights set on Miami, Waymo is poised to continue its dominance in the autonomous vehicle market. As the company expands its operations to new cities, it will be interesting to see how its robotaxi service evolves and adapts to new environments.