Alphabet’s Waymo Expands Robotaxi Coverage In Austin With Uber As Competition With Elon Musk’s Tesla Heats Up

Alphabet Inc.’s (GOOG) (GOOGL) autonomous driving unit, Waymo, has expanded its coverage area in Austin, Texas, in partnership with Uber Technologies Inc. (UBER), weeks after Elon Musk-led Tesla Inc. (TSLA) launched its competing robotaxi service in June.

Alphabet’s shares were trading 0.4% lower at the time of writing. Stocktwits data showed the retail sentiment around the stock was in the ‘bullish’ territory.

Uber’s shares were down 0.24% at the time of writing.

Waymo is now serving a larger area in Austin, more than doubling the serviceable region after Tesla launched a competing robotaxi service in June.

The autonomous ride-hailing service has partnered with Uber to more than double its coverage area in Austin, from 37 square miles to 90 square miles.

This comes after Musk-led Tesla launched the long-awaited robotaxi services, albeit through a limited pilot. The Tesla CEO has promised to expand rapidly.

Waymo on Wednesday announced it had completed 100 million fully autonomous miles in the real world.

Unlike Tesla, which is currently operational on a limited basis in Austin, Waymo has operations in Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Phoenix.

Waymo rides also do not have a safety monitor, unlike Tesla’s robotaxis. They are also operational 24/7, while Tesla’s robotaxis are available only between 6 AM and midnight. Lastly, Waymo rides are available to all users, while Tesla’s robotaxi service is currently invite-only. 

Further, the company has also begun collecting data in New York City, as it seeks a permit to test autonomous driving. 

Alphabet’s stock is down nearly 4% year-to-date, but up 1% over the past 12 months.

Uber’s stock is down nearly 50% year-to-date and 32% over the past 12 months.

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