History of Waymo in Timeline

Waymo LLC, a subsidiary of Alphabet Inc., is an American autonomous driving technology company based in Mountain View, California. By March 2026, Waymo operates commercial robotaxi services in 10 US metropolitan areas with over 3,700 robotaxis, providing 500,000 paid rides weekly and logging 200 million fully autonomous miles. Waymo is a significant player in the autonomous vehicle industry.

2004: Ghost Rider built for DARPA Grand Challenge

Levandowski's Berkeley team built Ghost Rider for the 2004 DARPA Grand Challenge, which Levandowski later donated to the Smithsonian.

2005: Development of Stanley for the DARPA Challenge

In 2005, before joining Google, Thrun and a team of engineers developed Stanley for Stanford's entry in the DARPA Challenge.

2005: Stanford Racing Team Competes in DARPA Grand Challenge

In 2005, the Stanford Racing Team competed in the DARPA Grand Challenge, marking an early step in autonomous vehicle technology.

2007: Development of Junior for the DARPA Challenge

In 2007, Thrun and a team of engineers developed Junior for Stanford's entry in the DARPA Challenge.

2007: Stanford Racing Team Competes in DARPA Grand Challenge

In 2007, the Stanford Racing Team competed in the DARPA Grand Challenge, furthering the development of autonomous vehicle technology.

February 2008: Request for Ghost Rider Motorcycle

In February 2008, a Discovery Channel producer requested to borrow Levandowski's Ghost Rider, the autonomous two-wheeled motorcycle, for the documentary series Prototype This!.

December 2008: Pribot Pizza Delivery Episode Aired

In December 2008, the Prototype This! episode depicting Pribot delivering pizza across the San Francisco Bay Bridge aired.

2008: Project Ground Truth Launched

In 2008, the Street View team launched project Ground Truth to create accurate road maps using data from satellites and street views.

January 2009: Google's Self-Driving Technology Development Begins

In January 2009, Google began developing self-driving technology.

January 2009: Google Greenlights Self-Driving Car Program

In January 2009, the success of Levandowski's project led Google to greenlight its self-driving car program.

January 17, 2009: Google Initiates Self-Driving Car Project

On January 17, 2009, Google's development of self-driving technology commenced at the Google X lab, led by Sergey Brin. The project was initiated by Sebastian Thrun and Anthony Levandowski.

2009: Google Spends $1.1 Billion on Project

Between 2009 and 2015 Google spent $1.1 billion on the self-driving project.

October 9, 2010: Google's Self-Driving Project Revealed by New York Times

On October 9, 2010, the New York Times revealed the existence of Google's self-driving car project, and Google announced its initiative later the same day.

October 2010: Google's Self-Driving Project Revealed

In October 2010, Google revealed its self-driving project to the public.

2010: Lawmakers Express Concerns Over Autonomous Vehicles

Starting in 2010, lawmakers in various states expressed concerns over how to regulate autonomous vehicles, leading to the development of laws such as the one in Nevada.

2011: Google Acquires 510 Systems and Anthony's Robots

In 2011, Google acquired 510 Systems and Anthony's Robots for an estimated US$20 million.

March 1, 2012: Nevada Law on Autonomous Vehicles Goes Into Effect

On March 1, 2012, a related Nevada law regulating autonomous vehicles went into effect, following lobbying by Google.

May 2012: First US License for a Self-Driven Car

In May 2012, a modified Prius was licensed by the Nevada Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV), marking the first US license for a self-driven car with Chris Urmson driving and Levandowski in the passenger seat.

January 2014: Google Granted Patent for Transportation Service

In January 2014, Google was granted a patent for a transportation service funded by advertising that included autonomous vehicles as a transport method.

August 2015: John Krafcik Hired as CEO

In August 2015, Google hired former Hyundai Motor executive, John Krafcik, as CEO of the self-driving car project.

2015: Google Spends $1.1 Billion on Project

Between 2009 and 2015 Google spent $1.1 billion on the self-driving project.

2015: Testing of Firefly Prototype

In December 2014, Google unveiled a Firefly prototype that was planned to be tested on San Francisco Bay Area roads beginning in early 2015.

March 2016: General Motors Acquires Cruise Automation

For comparison, in March 2016, General Motors acquired Cruise Automation for $500 million.

May 2016: Google and Stellantis Announce Minivan Order

In May 2016, Google and Stellantis announced an order of 100 Chrysler Pacifica hybrid minivans to test self-driving technology and the company opened a technology center in Novi, Michigan.

August 2016: Uber Acquires Otto

For comparison, in August 2016, Uber acquired Otto for $680 million.

December 2016: Project Renamed Waymo and Spun Out of Google

In December 2016, the project changed its name to Waymo and spun out of Google as part of Alphabet.

December 2016: Project Renamed Waymo

In December 2016, the self-driving project was renamed Waymo and spun out of Google as part of Alphabet.

February 2017: Waymo Sues Uber and Otto

In February 2017, Waymo sued Uber and its subsidiary Otto, alleging trade secret theft and patent infringement related to Waymo's lidar technology.

October 2017: Waymo Begins Testing Without Safety Drivers in Arizona

In October 2017, Waymo began testing minivans without a safety driver on public roads in Chandler, Arizona.

November 2017: Waymo Starts Testing in Phoenix Without Safety Drivers

In November 2017, Waymo started testing in Phoenix without safety drivers.

2017: Waymo highlights business uses for autonomous technology

In 2017, Waymo highlighted four business uses for its autonomous technology: robotaxis, trucking and logistics, urban public transportation, and passenger cars.

March 2018: Waymo Orders Jaguar I-Pace Electric SUVs

In March 2018, Jaguar Land Rover announced that Waymo had ordered up to 20,000 of its I-Pace electric SUVs.

May 2018: Waymo Expands Fleet and Establishes Subsidiary

In late May 2018, Alphabet announced plans to add up to 62,000 Pacifica Hybrid minivans to the fleet. Also in May 2018, Waymo established Huimo Business Consulting subsidiary in Shanghai.

July 2018: Uber Halts Production of Self-Driving Trucks Through Otto

In July 2018, Uber announced that it was halting production of self-driving trucks through Otto, and the subsidiary company was shuttered.

October 2018: Waymo Receives Permit for Driverless Car Operation

In October 2018, the California Department of Motor Vehicles issued a permit for Waymo to operate cars without safety drivers for day and night testing on public roads and highways.

December 2018: Waymo One Launched in Phoenix

In December 2018, Waymo launched Waymo One in Phoenix, transporting passengers with and without safety drivers.

2018: Waymo begins testing Class 8 tractor-trailers

In 2018, Waymo began testing Class 8 tractor-trailers in Atlanta.

2018: Vandalism of Waymo cars

In 2018, following the death of Elaine Herzberg involving an Uber test vehicle, there were several cases of Waymo cars being vandalized.

April 2019: Waymo Announces Vehicle Assembly in Detroit

In April 2019, Waymo announced plans for vehicle assembly in Detroit at the former American Axle & Manufacturing plant.

July 2019: Waymo Receives Permission to Transport Passengers

In July 2019, Waymo received permission to transport passengers in its autonomous vehicles.

November 2019: Waymo One Operates Without Safety Drivers

In November 2019, Waymo One became the first autonomous service worldwide to operate without safety drivers.

2019: Waymo expands trucking tests

In 2019, Waymo expanded trucking tests to southwest shipping routes across Arizona, California, New Mexico, and Texas.

2019: Waymo lobbying efforts begin in New York

Since 2019, Waymo has been spending money on lobbying efforts in the state of New York. As of January 2026, the lobbying efforts have cost $1.8 million.

March 2020: Waymo Via Launched

In March 2020, Waymo Via was launched after the company announced it had raised $2.25 billion from investors.

May 2020: Waymo Raises Additional Funding

In May 2020, Waymo raised an additional $750 million, contributing to its overall funding.

July 2020: Waymo and Stellantis expand partnership

In July 2020 Waymo and Stellantis expanded their partnership, including the development of Ram ProMaster delivery vehicles.

July 2020: Waymo Announces Partnership with Volvo

In July 2020, Waymo announced an exclusive partnership with auto manufacturer Volvo to integrate Waymo technology.

October 2020: Waymo's first publicly offered Robotaxi service

In October 2020 in Phoenix, Waymo launched its first publicly offered Robotaxi service.

October 2020: Waymo Offers Driverless Service to the Public

In October 2020, Waymo became the first company to offer self-driving service to the public without safety drivers.

2020: Levandowski Pleads Guilty

In 2020, Anthony Levandowski pled guilty to one of 33 charges and was sentenced to 18 months in prison.

2020: Waymo launches self-driving truck development division

In 2020, Waymo launched Waymo Via, a self-driving truck development division, to work with OEMs to integrate its technology into commercial vehicles.

April 2021: Krafcik Replaced by Co-CEOs

In April 2021, John Krafcik was replaced by Tekedra Mawakana and Dmitri Dolgov as co-CEOs of Waymo.

April 2021: Waymo Appoints Co-CEOs

In April 2021, Waymo appointed Tekedra Mawakana and Dmitri Dolgov as co-CEOs.

June 2021: Waymo Raises Additional Funding

In June 2021, Waymo raised $2.5 billion in another funding round, bringing total funding to $5.5 billion.

July 2021: NHTSA requires reporting of autonomous vehicle accidents

In July 2021, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) started requiring autonomous vehicle companies to report any accidents which result in injury or property damage that occur within 30 seconds of the vehicle operating in autonomous mode.

August 2021: Waymo Launches Consumer Testing Program in San Francisco

In August 2021, Waymo launched a consumer testing program in San Francisco.

2021: Waymo opens trucking hub in Dallas, Texas

In 2021, Waymo opened a trucking hub in Dallas, Texas and partnered with Daimler to integrate autonomous technology into a fleet of Freightliner Cascadia trucks.

2021: Partnership With Zeekr

Waymo developed its sixth-generation robotaxis based on electric vehicles by Chinese automobile company Zeekr, developed in a partnership first announced in 2021.

March 2022: Waymo Offers Driverless Rides to Staff in San Francisco

In March 2022, Waymo began offering rides for Waymo staff in San Francisco without a safety driver.

May 2022: Waymo Starts Pilot Program in Downtown Phoenix

In May 2022, Waymo started a pilot program seeking riders in downtown Phoenix, Arizona, and announced it would expand the program to more areas of Phoenix.

June 2022: Waymo Partners with Uber

In June 2022, Waymo announced a partnership with Uber to integrate its autonomous technology into Uber's freight truck service.

December 13, 2022: Waymo Applies for Permit to Operate Fully Autonomous Taxis in California

On December 13, 2022, Waymo applied for the final permit necessary to operate fully autonomous taxis, without a backup driver present, within the state of California.

January 2023: Waymo Staff Affected by Google Layoffs

In January 2023, The Information reported that Waymo staff were among those affected by Google's layoffs of around 12,000 workers, and TechCrunch reported that Waymo was set to kill its trucking program.

March 2023: I-Pace becomes Waymo's exclusive vehicle

In March 2023, the I-Pace became Waymo's exclusive vehicle for public revenue service, and is still in use as of April 2026.

July 2023: Waymo shutters Waymo Via trucking program

In July 2023, Waymo announced that it was moving away from commercial development of self-driving trucks to focus on ride-hailing and shuttered the Waymo Via trucking program, with the majority of employees moving to other roles within the company.

2023: Waymo no longer focuses on trucking

As of 2023, trucking is no longer a focus for Waymo.

2023: Waymo One Area Coverage Increased

In 2023, coverage of the Waymo One area was increased by 45 square miles (120 km), expanding to include downtown Mesa, uptown Phoenix, and South Mountain Village.

2023: "Coning" protest against Waymo and Cruise

In 2023, the San Francisco group Safe Street Rebel used a practice called "coning" to trap Waymo and Cruise cars with traffic cones as a form of protest after stating that the cars had been involved in hundreds of incidents.

February 2024: Attack on Waymo car's sensors

In February 2024, a pair of Waymo passengers described an attack by an onlooker who attempted to cover the car's sensors.

February 2024: Waymo car vandalized in Chinatown

In February 2024, during Lunar New Year celebrations in Chinatown, San Francisco, a mob of vandals attacked, graffitied, and set fire to a Waymo car. No one was injured.

July 2024: Waymo Begins Testing Sixth-Generation Robotaxis

In July 2024, Waymo began testing its sixth-generation robotaxis which are based on electric vehicles by Chinese automobile company Zeekr, developed in a partnership first announced in 2021.

July 2024: Waymo sues vandals

In July 2024, Waymo sued two people who allegedly vandalized their cars.

September 2024: Growth in passenger and vehicle miles traveled

From September 2024 to September 2025, Waymo's Passenger Miles Traveled (PMT) and Vehicle Miles Traveled (VMT) grew threefold, with the ratio remaining roughly equal.

October 2024: Waymo closes $5.6 billion funding round

In October 2024, Waymo secured $5.6 billion in funding, led by Alphabet, to expand its robotaxi services, bringing its total capital to over $11 billion.

October 2024: Estimated vehicle cost

As of October 2024, Morgan Stanley estimated the total vehicle cost at over $120,000.

2024: Waymo Raises $11 Billion

By 2024, Waymo raised $11 billion in multiple outside funding rounds.

2024: Waymo and Swiss Re publish safety study

In 2024, Waymo and Swiss Re published a study estimating that Waymo generated 92% fewer bodily injury claims and 88% fewer property damage claims than human drivers; however, experts noted that the sample size in the study of 25 million miles driven is extremely small compared to the 3 trillion miles logged annually by human drivers in the US.

2024: Waymo spends $1.7 million on lobbying

In 2024, Waymo spent $1.7 million on lobbying in the US to encourage updates to laws so self-driving vehicles can operate in those locations.

January 2025: Waymo's accident history

From July 2021 to January 2025, Waymo's vehicles have been involved in about 30 accidents with injuries, though the NHTSA reports do not ascribe fault.

June 2025: Waymo cars set on fire during Los Angeles protests

During the June 2025 Los Angeles protests against mass deportation, several Waymo cars were set on fire when riots broke out. Officials including California Governor Gavin Newsom and Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass condemned the destruction, attributing it to extremists infiltrating otherwise-peaceful protests.

June 2025: Estimated vehicle cost

As of June 2025, a third source estimates Waymo's vehicle cost to be above $100,000.

September 2025: Waymo integrated into Chandler's public microtransit service

In September 2025, Waymo and the city of Chandler, Arizona, announced that Waymo would be integrated into Chandler's public microtransit service.

September 2025: Waymo illegally passes stopped school bus

In September 2025, a Waymo in Atlanta was recorded illegally passing a stopped school bus, leading to criticism from Georgia State Representative Clint Crowe and State Senator Rick Williams.

September 2025: Passenger and vehicle miles traveled

As of September 2025, Waymo delivered 4.75 million Passenger Miles Traveled (PMT) monthly, requiring 6.57 million Vehicle Miles Traveled (VMT).

November 2025: Permit area in California expanded

In November 2025, Waymo's permit area in Northern California was expanded to include Santa Rosa and Sacramento, and in Southern California, it was expanded from the Mexican border to Ventura County. These new permit areas were approved by the California Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV).

November 2025: Waymo's robotaxis fleet

As of November 2025, most of Waymo's robotaxis are customized Jaguar I-Pace cars. Waymo plans to introduce Hyundai Ioniq 5 and Zeekr Ojai cars.

January 2026: Investigations opened into Waymo's robotaxis

In January 2026, the National Transportation Safety Board and National Highway Traffic Safety Administration opened investigations into Waymo's robotaxis for recurring incidents of illegally passing stopped school buses, and one incident where a robotaxi hit a child who ran out from behind a parked SUV in a school zone.

January 2026: Waymo lobbying efforts in New York

As of January 2026, Waymo has spent $1.8 million since 2019 on lobbying efforts in the state of New York.

February 2026: Waymo Raises $16 Billion

In February 2026, Waymo raised $16 billion, valuing the company at $126 billion.

February 2026: Waymo requests uniform nationwide standards for autonomous vehicle deployment

In February 2026, Waymo representatives requested the United States Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation to create uniform nationwide standards for autonomous vehicle deployment, warning that US companies could lose the market to Chinese companies if regulations are not reduced.

February 2026: Waymo raises $16 billion funding round

In February 2026, Waymo secured a $16 billion funding round, valuing the company at $126 billion, to fund expansion into new markets, with $13 billion coming from Alphabet.

February 2026: Waymo employs remote assistance workers

In February 2026, Waymo's chief safety officer confirmed that the company employs remote assistance workers in the United States and the Philippines to provide guidance to vehicles in situations they cannot independently solve.

March 2026: Waymo's robotaxi service metrics

As of March 2026, Waymo operates 3,000 robotaxis, providing 500,000 paid rides per week and driving 4 million rider-only miles per week.

March 16, 2026: Accidents logged by NHTSA

As of March 16, 2026, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has logged 1,790 accidents (cumulative since July 2021) involving Waymo vehicles.

April 2026: I-Pace is Waymo's exclusive vehicle

As of April 2026, the I-Pace was and still is Waymo's exclusive vehicle for public revenue service starting in March 2023. It is available to passengers in 11 different cities / areas, as of April 2026.