Waymo Increases Robotaxi Production in Arizona

Waymo's Expanding Autonomous Fleet

For several years, Waymo has remained discreet regarding the precise number of Jaguar I-Pace electric vehicles comprising its autonomous fleet. This figure encompasses both vehicles utilized for testing and those engaged in commercial robotaxi services.

On Monday, the Alphabet-owned company finally disclosed details concerning the commercial aspect of its fleet operations.

Robotaxi Deployment and Expansion

Waymo announced on Monday, alongside other news, that it currently operates over 1,500 commercial robotaxis. Further expansion is planned through a substantial investment with Magna, aimed at producing more than 2,000 autonomous I-Pace vehicles at a newly established facility in Arizona.

The collaboration between Waymo and Magna has existed for years, previously centered at a now-defunct Detroit location.

Strategic Location of the New Factory

The new 239,000-square-foot factory, situated in Mesa, a Phoenix suburb, was deliberately chosen for its strategic advantages. It is located within one of Waymo’s primary robotaxi operating areas and is in close proximity to other service regions, including San Francisco, Los Angeles, and Austin.

A Waymo representative communicated to TechCrunch that multiple locations were considered. Mesa was ultimately selected due to its convenient access to various markets and the consistently favorable weather conditions, which are ideal for the validation procedures necessary before public deployment of the robotaxis.

Production and Validation Process

Waymo stated in its factory announcement that the final shipment of vehicles from Jaguar was received earlier in the year. Subsequently, Magna and Waymo collaborate to integrate the autonomous driving system into the vehicles.

Waymo highlighted a streamlined process designed to accelerate the transition from production to validation and ultimately to public use. The autonomous vehicles are capable of driving themselves directly from the factory into active service.

“These vehicles can begin serving public passengers in under 30 minutes after exiting the factory,” Waymo noted in its blog post. Vehicles destined for other cities can be placed into public service within hours of arrival at their respective local depots.

Future Vehicle Integration

The Mesa facility is designed to accommodate multiple vehicle platforms. Notably, it will be used to integrate Waymo’s sixth-generation self-driving system into the Zeekr RT later this year.

Over time, the plant will incorporate automated assembly lines and other efficiency improvements. When operating at full capacity, the facility will be capable of producing tens of thousands of fully autonomous Waymo vehicles annually.

This represents a significant step in scaling Waymo’s autonomous vehicle operations.