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Waymo secures $5bn loan to accelerate robotaxi expansion. Waymo has borrowed $5 billion in its first debt financing after raising $16 billion from investors earlier this year, as the US robotaxi company seeks to ramp up its presence across the US and beyond. * 9 October 2026 Alphabet-owned Waymo has secured its first $5bn loan to fund its robotaxi expansion. The loan follows a $16bn equity investment in February that valued Waymo at $126bn, giving it substantial backing as it seeks to expand its driverless ride-hailing business. "This financing supports our long-term flexibility to execute with speed, scale thoughtfully and continue leading the autonomous vehicle industry responsibly," said Steve Fieler, Waymo's Chief Financial Officer. PIMCO, Blackstone and Sixth Street led the syndicated financing, with Goldman Sachs acting as the sole lead bookrunner. The company plans to use the capital to expand its autonomous ride-hailing service across the US and internationally. It launched in its 15th US city last month and most recently announced plans to enter Singapore, extending its ambitions beyond its established American markets. Waymo has also been laying the groundwork for its European expansion, registering new entities in France, Spain, the Netherlands and Germany, alongside its driverless testing in London. It faces a growing field of competitors across the continent. Uber has already launched autonomous rides in Zagreb with Chinese developer Pony.ai and Croatian operator Verne, and is preparing to bring Pony.ai vehicles to London. In Spain, Uber and WeRide have secured a permit to test robotaxis in Madrid, while British self-driving developer Wayve began offering supervised autonomous rides through Uber in London in September. Meanwhile, European mobility platform Bolt and US electric vehicle maker Lucid have announced plans to deploy 25,000 robotaxis across Europe. International expansion will require Waymo to navigate different regulatory frameworks and operating conditions, while building the infrastructure needed to support driverless fleets. The company has not disclosed how the loan will be allocated between individual markets. The decision to add debt following February's equity raise gives Waymo another source of capital as it scales. The financing announcement did not disclose the loan's interest rate, maturity or other repayment terms. Waymo said it remained focused on road safety and accessibility as it expands.

Waymo launches driverless rides in Detroit amid mixed local reactions. Waymo, a ride-hailing service similar to Uber or Lyft but with fully autonomous driving, has come to Detroit. This service operates without a driver, allowing the rider to sit in... Published Oct 8, 2026 10:13 AM EDT Waymo, a ride-hailing service similar to Uber or Lyft but with fully autonomous driving, has come to Detroit. This service operates without a driver, allowing the rider to sit in the back of the vehicle while it drives them to their destination. For now, only Waymo employees can use the service. The company will drive in downtown Detroit and nearby areas, including Corktown, Midtown, Hamtramck, and Indian Village. "We'll continue driving in the downtown and surrounding neighborhoods like Corktown, Midtown, Hamtramck, and Indian Village, as we work to gradually expand across the broader metropolitan area over time," Waymo spokesman Chris Bonelli said in an email to the Detroit Free Press. "Rides will initially only be available to Waymo employees, as we work to open our doors to public riders in the future," Bonelli said. "We'll follow our safety framework and serve riders in Detroit when we've properly validated our technology in the city and our local operations are ready." No date has been set for a public launch; however, Waymo asked future riders to download the Waymo app ahead of time, according to Deadline Detroit. Until this week, Waymo cars in Detroit carried drivers while the company mapped the streets. Detroit becomes the 11th city to get the service, according to WXYZ. Waymo says its cars are 10 times safer than a human driver, with 95% fewer serious or fatal crashes in the areas where they operate. Waymo is based in Mountain View, Calif. It's a subsidiary of Alphabet Inc., the parent company of Google, and it offers rides in more than a dozen metro areas, including Phoenix and San Francisco. Michigan regulates Waymo's work in Detroit. The city's Office of Mobility Innovation has met with the company to prepare the Detroit Police Department and Detroit Fire Department for the launch. "Waymo's arrival is yet another sign that Detroit is the center of mobility innovation," said Ryan Michael, Deputy Chief of Business Innovation and Emerging Industries for the City of Detroit. Downtown Detroit residents had mixed reactions. "I'm a little nervous to say the least," Key Webb said. "I think it's pretty cool honestly," Travis Spencer said. Thomas Aragona said, "I'm here for it, I'm excited to see cars driving themselves." N. Charles Anderson, president and CEO of the Urban League of Detroit and Southeastern Michigan, rode in a Waymo in Nashville this summer. The Urban League is one of Waymo's community partners. "I had sworn against riding in a self-driving car before that but since we've had some good support of Waymo they offered me a chance to take a ride I said why not, I got in and I was sold," Anderson said.

In Detroit, Waymo rolls out fully autonomous vehicle testing. The company's rideshare service has ditched its human drivers. Starting this week, Waymo vehicles on the road in Detroit, Mich., are cruising solo in downtown and surrounding neighborhoods. October 07, 2026 - Henry Payne, The Detroit News (TNS) - If you see Chinese cars rolling on Detroit roads without anyone behind the wheel, don't freak out. It's a Waymo. Waymo LLC's rideshare service began full autonomous testing in Detroit this week without a human specialist at the wheel as the rideshare company inches closer to public service. The Alphabet Inc.-owned company has been a fixture in Metro Detroit since last November with its Chinese-made Zeekr Ojai vehicles plying the roads. Waymo also uses white Jaguar iPace models. Waymo Product Communications Manager Chris Bonelli said there is still no timeline for the so-called Waymo Driver service deployment in Detroit. But Waymo is testing in the downtown and surrounding neighborhoods, including Corktown, Midtown, Hamtramck and Indian Village, with plans to expand. It will publish a map of its service area before it opens rides to the public via its phone app (similar to the Uber app). Waymo operates in cities from San Francisco to Atlanta. Detroit, along with Denver, Minneapolis, Chicago and Montreal, is one of the first northern cities that Waymo is exploring as it seeks to expand its service to states with variable climates. Service in Denver opened this summer, and Telemetry analyst Sam Abuelsamid expects the Detroit service will be available on a limited basis by the end of the year, with the Waymo app opening to the public at large early in 2027. "It depends on, you know, how smoothly things go," Abuelsamid said. "It also depends on the specific permitting rules in a given state. Waymo is the first to do (autonomous rideshare) in Michigan." According to Obi, which uses data from 1.5 million global rideshare users to analyze prices, the average cost of a Waymo ride in the San Francisco Bay Area for March and April 2026 was $9.58 per mile, compared with $6.88 for Uber and $6.41 for Lyft. The Zeekr Ojai is an upgrade over the Jaguar Waymo with the sixth-generation Waymo Driver system that allows the vehicle to operate in wintry conditions. "The sixth-generation Waymo Driver system has their latest generation of radar and lidar and the cameras," continued Abuelsamid. "It reduces the cost by about 50% compared to the fifth-generation system that was on the Jaguars. They've been testing it on some of the Hyundai Ioniq 5s that they will launch later in the year." Produced in China, the Ojai is significantly cheaper than the Jaguar even after tariffs. After import, the electric van is outfitted with Waymo hardware and software in its Mesa, Arizona, facility. Waymo doesn't divulge its vehicle manufacturing cost. But Abuelsamid estimates the company pays about $60,000-$70,000 for the Ojai and $140,000-$150,000 for the Jaguar after both are fully built for Waymo Driver. Waymo is in the process of increasing capacity in Mesa to manufacture tens of thousands of units per year. The Ojai boasts a roomy cabin - Waymo calls it "a living room on wheels" - with features like Gemini AI for passengers, embedded Braille and screen-reader compatibility, and a seat-integrated handle for passenger accessibility. As in other cities before it, the progression from driver-monitored to fully autonomous rides is part of the normal Waymo test cycle. In the initial phase of testing, Waymo mapped the streets in the areas where the company planned to operate, then integrated the Waymo Driver software with local lighting and traffic safety configurations. The new phase follows months spent with driver monitors on board, familiarizing the so-called Waymo Driver with city streets, coordinating with local officials, and engaging with community members to understand Waymo's service and how the technology works. "Rides will initially only be available to Waymo employees, as we work to open our doors to public riders in the future," said Bonelli. "We'll follow our safety framework and serve riders in Detroit when we've properly validated our technology in the city, and our local operations are ready." Beyond vehicle testing, Waymo has been integrating into the community. Emphasizing safety and accessibility, it has partnered with the Epilepsy Foundation of Michigan, the Urban League of Detroit & Southeastern Michigan, and Mothers Against Drunk Driving, Michigan. Waymo served as title sponsor of the League of Michigan Bicyclists' HUBFest, providing helmet checks and giveaways. With more than 270 million fully autonomous miles across its operating cities, Waymo claims 95% fewer crashes causing serious or fatal injury compared with human drivers.