Alphabet‘s Waymo said Thursday that its robotaxi service is now open to paying riders in Miami, kicking off a 2026 market expansion.

Miami is the sixth market where Waymo offers driverless ride-hailing service, extending its lead over Tesla and Amazon-owned Zoox. As U.S. competition has lagged, Waymo’s planned 2026 expansions could lock in rider demand and loyalty in the U.S.

To start, Waymo will offer its services within a 60-square-mile area that includes Miami’s Design District, Wynwood, Brickell and Coral Gables neighborhoods, the Google sister company said.

The company began testing its vehicles in the Florida city in early 2025. Waymo said it plans to extend its service to the Miami International Airport in the near future, but did not give a specific timeline.

The company said “nearly 10,000 residents” of Miami have already signed up to try its robotaxi service, and Waymo will be “inviting new riders on a rolling basis.” Riders can hail a Waymo robotaxi in Miami using the company’s app.

Waymo is partnering with mobility company Moove for fleet management services including vehicle charging, cleaning and repairs.

The Miami launch comes after Waymo has faced public concerns over the safety and driving behavior of its vehicles.

Waymo’s vehicles contributed to gridlock during storms and widespread power outages in San Francisco last month. The company has been refining its systems to better navigate during such circumstances and weather, Waymo said afterward.

The company ended 2025 with its robotaxi service available in five major U.S. markets, including Austin, Atlanta, Los Angeles, Phoenix and the San Francisco Bay Area.

For 2026, Waymo has said it plans to expand to more U.S. markets, including Dallas, Denver, Detroit, Houston, Las Vegas, Orlando, San Antonio, San Diego, Washington and Nashville, Tenn. The company is also testing in New York, Tokyo and London, and has also said it will launch its first overseas commercial service this year.

In December, Waymo crossed 450,000 weekly paid rides, and the company said it had served 14 million trips in 2025. The company is in talks to raise $15 billion in funding, CNBC reported last month.

The Alphabet company faces its most formidable competition from Baidu-owned Apollo Go and WeRide in Asia, but Amazon’s Zoox and Elon Musk’s Tesla, along with startups like May Mobility and Nuro, are aiming to compete with Waymo in North America.

— CNBC’s Jennifer Elias contributed to this report.

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