Waymo Adds 11 U.S. Cities for Robotaxi Testing, But Still No North Carolina

Waymo has grown its driverless car operations into 11 cities this fall. North Carolina isn't one of them. The nation's top robotaxi operator brought its service to Seattle, Denver, and Nashville in September. November brought Minneapolis, San Diego, Tampa, Las Vegas, and Detroit.

Two weeks back, the company named St. Louis, Pittsburgh, Philadelphia, and Baltimore as new markets. Waymo finished over 14 million driverless trips in 2025 — three times what it did in 2024.

Back in 2017, North Carolina passed laws allowing cars without drivers and stopped local governments from blocking them. State officials want to work with companies building this technology.

"North Carolina is encouraging self-driving technology and is eager to discuss it with any interested companies," N.C. Department of Transportation spokesperson Jamie Kritzer wrote in an email, according to The News & Observer. "We recognize self-driving technology provides an opportunity to save lives, as distracted driving crashes are on the rise because people are texting, emailing, or watching videos when they should be driving."

Car wrecks killed 1,732 people in North Carolina last year, per NCDOT. Deaths from cars across the U.S. hit 27,365 in the first nine months of this year — that's just a projected total.

Charlotte has more people than lots of cities Waymo picked. The Triangle keeps getting bigger and leans on tech businesses.

Two years back, Waymo staff had a "very preliminary" talk with Raleigh, said city spokesperson Julia Milstead. Charlotte? They've heard nothing from the Bay Area company.

General Motors' Cruise sent cars through Charlotte and Raleigh in 2023, gathering data with people at the wheel. A few months passed. GM killed its driverless service over safety worries.

Waymo spokesperson Ethan Teicher said his company looks at demand, local rules ,and current transportation options when picking cities. "We have not yet engaged city or state officials about Waymo," he wrote of North Carolina. "As we expand around the U.S. and globally, we are engaging with leaders to help explain our technology, our safety record, and how we approach expanding in any new city."

Waymo hired Navigator — a lobbying firm based in Raleigh — from 2021 through 2023 but hasn't used lobbyists in the state since then.