Waymo starts fully driverless, employee-only tests on Austin-area highways as it expands robotaxi service ahead of wider rollout.

The cars patrolled Houston for about nine months before the program's launch.

Waymo operates its ride-hailing service through its own app in all the U.S. cities except Atlanta and Austin, where its robotaxis can only be summoned through Uber’s ride-hailing service. Here’s a timeline of major moments of how the company got to this point, according to its website:

The Alphabet-owned autonomous driving leader accelerates its national expansion, bringing driverless ride-hailing to major metropolitan hubs across two states.

It all comes after human specialists accompanied Waymo vehicles as they traveled through some of the most complex areas of the "210," including downtown and freeways, in May 2025. Experts did this so that the vehicles could familiarize themselves with the city, according to Waymo.