[AutonomousVehicles] The Latest about Waymo Coming to San Antonio

[Cornelius Butler]

Hi Peter and Everyone,
I had Google Gemini 3 Pro do a check on the latest on Waymo preparing to
rollout in San Antonio. Please ignore the part about my Google Pixel 8 pro
because Gemini Detected what device I was using :)

Gemini Answer about San Antonio with Direct Links:
Based on the latest announcements from late 2025 and early 2026, here is
the current status of Waymo in San Antonio.

1. Current Status: Testing is Active, Public Rides are Next
Status: As of January 2026, Waymo has officially "greenlit" fully
autonomous (driverless) operations in San Antonio.

Who can ride now: Currently, the vehicles are operating in employee-only
mode for final validation.

Public Launch: The service is scheduled to open to the general public in
"Early 2026" (likely Q1 or Q2).

Waitlist: The waitlist is effectively open now; you join it by downloading
the Waymo app (see "How to Ride" below).

2. Confirmed Service Area
Unlike some cities that start with small suburban pockets, San Antonio's
initial rollout is quite aggressive:

Downtown San Antonio: The core operational zone.

San Antonio International Airport: Confirmed to be part of the initial
testing phase, which is a major advantage for early travelers.

Surrounding Areas: While exact street borders haven't been published, the
zone will encompass the "surrounding areas" of downtown.

3. How It Differs from Austin
This is a critical distinction for Texas riders:

Austin: Waymo rides are available only through the Uber app.

San Antonio: Waymo is launching as a direct Waymo One service. This means
you will use the Waymo App directly (similar to how it works in Phoenix or
San Francisco), giving you a more dedicated experience without routing
through Uber.

4. Recent News & Direct Links
Official Launch Announcement (Nov 2025): Waymo confirmed San Antonio as one
of its five major expansion cities for 2026, alongside Houston and Miami.

https://waymo.com/blog/2025/11/safe-routine-ready-autonomous-driving-in-new-cities/

Local Confirmation of "Green Light" (Nov 2025): Local news confirmed that
after months of human-driven mapping, Waymo moved to the "fully autonomous"
phase for employees.

https://www.mysanantonio.com/business/article/waymo-texas-san-antonio-21196282.php

Airport & Infrastructure Details: Reports confirmed that the initial
testing zone explicitly includes the airport and that Waymo has secured a
local facility for charging and cleaning the fleet.

https://sanantonioreport.org/san-antonians-can-catch-a-ride-from-driverless-waymo-cars-in-2026/

Next Step for You
If you haven't already, download the "Waymo One" app on your Google Pixel 8
Pro now. Even though you cannot hail a ride yet, creating an account will
automatically place you on the waitlist so you are notified the moment the
"Early 2026" public switch is flipped.
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://nfbnet.org/pipermail/autonomousvehicles_nfbnet.org/attachments/20260112/57cd91e8/attachment.htm>