Waymo’s driverless taxis coming to Charlotte

CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Waymo’s driverless robotaxis are coming to Charlotte.

The company made the announcement on Feb. 25 after Waymo cars were spotted in a parking lot in Uptown Charlotte on Tuesday.

“Charlotte is a world-class city that embraces innovation and the opportunity to move forward,” said Charlotte Mayor Vi Lyles. “This announcement reflects our tireless dedication for expanded mobility, and we believe Charlotte is an excellent choice for Waymo’s next destination.”

Waymo vehicles will be manually driven around Charlotte to familiarize them with the city’s roads. Manual driving will lead to autonomous driving with a trained specialist behind the wheel. This will be followed by fully autonomous driving in the future.

Users call for a ride via the Waymo app, similar to Uber or Lyft, and the vehicle navigates the rider to their destination autonomously.

“Wherever North Carolinians are traveling, safe and reliable transportation is essential,” said North Carolina Governor Josh Stein. “We are eager to see how Waymo’s expansion into Charlotte can increase accessibility, modernize transportation, and create safer roads.”

Waymo provides over 400,000 autonomous rides every week and operates in 10 metro areas, including Orlando, Houston, and Dallas. It also has driven more than 200 million autonomous miles and more than 20 million rides served.

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