Google's Waymo just made its boldest geographic bet yet, announcing Tuesday it's bringing robotaxis to Denver and Seattle—two cities that will test the company's autonomous driving technology against snow, wind, and rain like never before. The expansion signals Waymo's push beyond sunny climates as it races to dominate the emerging robotaxi market.
Waymo just threw down the gauntlet in the robotaxi wars, announcing Tuesday it's bringing both its Jaguar I-Pace SUVs and Zeekr vans to Denver and Seattle starting this week. The move represents the Google-owned company's most ambitious expansion yet into challenging weather conditions that have long been the holy grail of autonomous driving.
The timing couldn't be more strategic. While competitors like Tesla continue promising Full Self-Driving capabilities and startups burn through funding, Waymo is methodically building the infrastructure for what could become a multi-billion dollar robotaxi empire. "We hope to start offering robotaxi trips in Denver next year and the Seattle metropolitan area as soon as we're permitted to do so," the company told TechCrunch.
[embedded image: Waymo's Zeekr van fleet preparation in snowy conditions]
Denver and Seattle represent a quantum leap in complexity from Waymo's current comfort zones of Phoenix, San Francisco, and Los Angeles. Snow accumulation, black ice, and intense rainfall create scenarios that separate working autonomous systems from tech demos. The company's willingness to tackle these conditions head-on suggests confidence in its sixth-generation Driver technology—the same system that's been quietly racking up millions of miles across eight metropolitan areas.
The numbers tell the expansion story. Just last week, Waymo revealed it operates more than 2,000 robotaxis nationwide: 800 in the San Francisco Bay Area, 500 in Los Angeles, 400 in Phoenix, 100 in Austin, and "dozens" in Atlanta. That fleet size dwarfs any competitor and represents real commercial scale, not just pilot programs. The company has also locked in future launches in Dallas, Miami, and Washington D.C. next year, plus recently secured permits for New York City testing.
[video iframe: Waymo autonomous driving in challenging weather conditions]
Behind the expansion lies a fascinating hardware story. The Zeekr vans—built by the Chinese electric vehicle maker owned by Geely—were specifically designed for Waymo's robotaxi service. Unlike retrofitted consumer vehicles, these purpose-built autonomous vehicles feature custom sensor integration, passenger comfort optimization, and fleet maintenance considerations. The partnership demonstrates how the robotaxi industry is driving entirely new vehicle categories.