Investing.com -- Waymo, the autonomous driving technology firm, has announced that it will add 2,000 new robotaxis to its fleet by 2026. The company currently offers more than 250,000 paid trips each week across Phoenix, San Francisco, Los Angeles, and Austin, and is planning to expand its fully autonomous ride-hailing service to Atlanta, Miami, and Washington, D.C. in 2026.
To meet the growing demand for its services, Waymo is investing in a new autonomous vehicle factory in Metro Phoenix, in partnership with Magna. The factory will be dedicated to the production of thousands of Jaguar I-PACEs, equipped with Waymo’s fully autonomous technology. The 239,000 square feet facility represents a multi-million dollar investment and has already created hundreds of jobs in Mesa, AZ.
Arizona Governor Katie Hobbs praised the new factory, stating it’s an example of Arizona becoming a hub for technology innovation and growth. The local jobs created by the factory will contribute to Arizona’s growing tech economy.
Waymo’s fleet has grown significantly over the past few years, now boasting over 1,500 vehicles across its operational cities. The company is planning to build over 2,000 more fully autonomous I-PACE vehicles for its fleet through next year, following the final delivery from Jaguar earlier this year.
Ryan McNamara, Vice President of Operations at Waymo, described the new manufacturing plant in Mesa as the epicenter of the company’s future growth plans. The facility’s flexible design allows for the integration of the 6th-generation Waymo Driver on new vehicle platforms, starting this year with the Zeekr RT.
The manufacturing plant is also designed to introduce an automated assembly line and other efficiencies over time, with the capability to produce tens of thousands of fully autonomous Waymo vehicles per year when operating at full capacity.
After the installation of the Driver, the system needs to be validated and commissioned before carrying riders. With the new facility, Waymo has implemented new processes that significantly reduce the time and cost required to enable a vehicle to carry riders. Vehicles assigned to the Phoenix fleet can be in service less than 30 minutes after leaving the factory, while those intended for other cities can be deployed in public service within hours after being shipped to their local depot.
The new manufacturing plant, coupled with more efficient vehicle launch processes, allows Waymo to serve more riders faster.
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