Hitechreports

Waymo has reached a major milestone in Tennessee, announcing that its autonomous vehicles are now operating fully driverless in Nashville. The move marks a significant step toward launching a paid robotaxi service in the city, though the company has not yet confirmed when public bookings will officially begin.

Nashville joins a growing list of cities where Waymo is preparing to expand its commercial autonomous ride-hailing footprint.

From Testing to Full Autonomy

Waymo first revealed plans to bring its robotaxis to Nashville in September 2025, with the goal of opening rides to the public sometime in 2026. Since then, the company has been actively testing its technology throughout the city.

As with every new market, Waymo follows a structured rollout process. It begins with safety drivers mapping local streets, collecting detailed road data and identifying unique traffic patterns, signage, and driving conditions. That information is then used to refine and update Waymo’s autonomous driving software.

Now, with vehicles operating without safety drivers behind the wheel, the company is signaling confidence that its systems are ready for real-world, fully autonomous operation in Nashville. However, while driverless testing is underway, riders still cannot book trips just yet.

Why Testing Matters

Waymo’s cautious rollout strategy reflects the complexity of autonomous driving. Each city presents different challenges, ranging from infrastructure design and traffic laws to unpredictable road hazards.

Despite extensive pre-launch testing in other cities, Waymo has faced software-related setbacks in the past. The company has issued multiple recalls after its vehicles encountered real-world hazards that weren’t handled as expected. Previous incidents involved robotaxis colliding with:

• Gates and chains
• Telephone poles
• Stationary vehicles

More recently, Waymo issued a recall after some vehicles failed to stop properly for school buses, highlighting the ongoing challenges of refining autonomous systems.

These experiences have reinforced the company’s methodical approach, emphasizing software updates and localized learning before launching commercial service.

Where Waymo Is Already Operating

Waymo’s fully autonomous ride-hailing service is currently available to the public in several major cities, including:

• Los Angeles
• San Francisco
• Phoenix
• Miami

Additionally, Waymo operates in Atlanta and Austin through a partnership with Uber.

Beyond those markets, the company is actively testing or expanding in numerous other cities, though public ride services are not yet available there. These include:

• New York City
• New Orleans
• Seattle
• Tokyo, Japan

Nashville is also part of a broader wave of cities where Waymo is conducting or planning driverless trials. Other upcoming locations include Boston, Dallas, Denver, Detroit, Houston, Las Vegas, Orlando, Sacramento, San Antonio, San Diego, Washington, D.C., and London.