Waymo Plans to Quintuple Robotaxi Fleet to 20,000 by End of Next Year

Alphabet's autonomous vehicle unit Waymo is planning to quintuple its commercial robotaxi fleet to 20,000 vehicles by the end of next year, according to a report from Semafor. The company currently operates around 4,000 vehicles across 15 U.S. cities and targets doubling to 8,000 by year-end. The rollout will be primarily funded by a $5 billion loan secured earlier this month from lenders including Blackstone, PIMCO, and Sixth Street. The move follows a $16 billion equity funding round that valued Waymo at $126 billion, alongside international expansion plans.