Waymo threatens Uber and Lyft as robotaxis arrive in Vice City

Waymo One is set to touch down in Miami as the robotaxi service takes over popular destinations in the US and upstages Uber and Lyft drivers.

Waymo One, Alphabet's autonomous ride-hailing service, will debut in Miami in early 2025. However, the robotaxis will not be open to customers until 2026.

In June 2023, Waymo started testing out Waymo One in Miami to see if its autonomous driving technology could traverse Florida’s turbulent environment.

Miami is not the only sunny city in the US that has opened its doors to Waymo’s self-driving taxis. Los Angeles, California, has recently adopted the self-driving cards and is now open to the public.

While Waymo started its operations in LA in early 2024, anyone in the area can now access Waymo One.

These self-driving taxis seem to be taking center stage in LA, and Uber and Lyft drivers aren’t pleased. Waymo taxis are bad for business.

In October 2024, Waymo said that it provides 100,000 paid rides per week in the San Francisco Bay Area, Metro Phoenix, and Los Angeles County.

This has sparked fear among Uber and Lyft drivers as to whether these autonomous vehicles will take their jobs.

It's currently unclear how much and whether Waymo One is financially affecting Uber and Lyft drivers.

According to Business Insider, artificial intelligence experts have speculated that these ride-hailing services may suffer if Waymo’s fares are cheaper and more autonomous vehicles take to the streets.

Problems with Waymo

Waymo One hasn’t had the smoothest ride, as the robotaxis has been plagued by endless issues, particularly in the San Francisco area.

A viral TikTok video showed a self-driving pile-up in which a group of Waymo robotaxis were trapped behind an impenetrable fortress – an Amazon delivery van.

The bystander, who took the 35-second clip that garnered the attention of at least 150,000 TikTok users, called the situation a “Waymo standoff.”

Another incident involved frustrated San Franciscans being blocked by a fleet of Waymo self-driving taxis.