Waymo Deploys 6th Gen Autonomous System, Expands US Operations (GOOGL)

Waymo, a self-driving ride-hailing unit of Alphabet (GOOGL-US), began rolling out its 6th-generation autonomous system on Ojai vehicles in Ojai, CA, and started providing employee access to driverless rides Thursday, February 12, 2026. The upgrade features costlier, more reliable components that improve performance in恶劣天气, supporting expanded fleet growth and market penetration. The 6th-gen system is positioned as the core engine for the company’s next phase of expansion. Currently operating in the San Francisco Bay Area and Los Angeles, Waymo plans to broaden service to additional cities and open public ride-hailing operations later this year. The company is already providing fully autonomous ride-hailing in six U.S. markets and expects to launch operations in London later in 2026. Competition from Amazon (AMZN-US)’s Zoox and Tesla (TSLA-US) remains active in testing, but neither has yet scaled to full commercial operations. Waymo has been incrementally shifting to new models, including moving from the Pacifica with its 4th-gen system to the I-PACE with its 5th-gen system, and the Ojai features a lower boarding height and higher cabin volume while maintaining a footprint similar to the Jaguar I-PACE.