DEPLOY

Buying guide

Waymo Driver (6th gen)

By Waymo · av

Price
$10-$20· actual sale price
Availability
Internal use only (not for retail).
Maturity
commercial
Real-world use
Yes, 15 verified deployments

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The sixth-generation Waymo Driver is Waymo's autonomous-driving stack for fully autonomous robotaxi service, and the verified-commercial anchor of DEPLOY's robotaxi cluster. There is no consumer price: a Waymo is a ride service, not a vehicle sold to consumers. It integrates 13 cameras, 4 lidars, 6 radars, and external audio receivers with up to roughly 500m detection range, using 42% fewer sensors than the 5th-gen Jaguar I-PACE system, and runs on the purpose-built Zeekr RT (sold as the 'Ojai', no steering wheel or pedals) and the Hyundai IONIQ 5. It began fully autonomous commercial operations in February 2026. One verified-vs-claimed cap-flag: Waymo states a per-unit hardware cost target under $20,000 (a more-than-50% reduction from the 5th-gen system), but that is a stated manufacturing target, not a consumer price.

Readiness

Waymo Driver (6th gen) is internal use only (not for retail) at $10-$20 (actual sale price), the 1 capability claim on file is all autonomous with verified, 15 verified deployments are on file, and 11 incidents are on record.

Availability
internal-only

Internal use only (not for retail).

see evidence →

Price honesty
actual-sale-price

One price on file: $10-$20 (actual sale price).

see evidence →

Capability honesty
autonomous

1 reviewed claim: autonomous, verified.

see evidence →

Real-world use
commercial

Maturity: commercial. 15 verified deployments in the registry.

see evidence →

Safety record
incidents-on-file

11 incidents on record across 15 verified deployments.

see evidence →

What it claims to do

Price

Real-world use

Safety record

Privacy

Privacy practices disclosed by Waymo for Waymo Driver (6th gen), with verification status.

  • Data saleverified

    Waymo may share and sell your identifiers and network activity to advertising partners for targeted ads, which it says may count as a sale under California law.

    Source: https://waymo.com/privacy/

  • Location trackingverified

    Collects your pickup and drop-off locations, your full route, and device location during every trip.

    Source: https://waymo.com/privacy/

  • Training data useverified

    Waymo drafted a policy to use interior camera footage linked to your identity to train generative AI models, with an opt-out option planned.

    Source: https://techcrunch.com/2025/04/08/waymo-may-use-interior-camera-data-to-train-generative-ai-models-sell-ads/

  • Capture indicatorverified

    The interior microphones are off except during a voice call with Rider Support or when you choose to turn them on.

    Source: https://support.google.com/waymo/answer/9190819

  • Training data useverified

    Waymo drafted a policy to use interior camera footage associated with rider identity to train generative AI models, with an opt-out mechanism planned.

    Source: https://techcrunch.com/2025/04/08/waymo-may-use-interior-camera-data-to-train-generative-ai-models-sell-ads/

  • Data saleverified

    Waymo acknowledges it may share and sell your identifiers and network activity to advertising partners, which qualifies as a sale or share under California law.

    Source: https://waymo.com/privacy/

  • Capture indicatorverified

    Interior microphones are not continuously recording. They only activate during voice calls with Rider Support or when you explicitly turn them on.

    Source: https://support.google.com/waymo/answer/9190819

  • Location trackingverified

    Collects your precise pickup and drop-off locations, your full route, and your device's location throughout each trip.

    Source: https://waymo.com/privacy/

  • Data retentionverified

    Account info including name, email, and trip history is kept while your account is active, and may be kept longer for disputes, investigations, product improvement, safety, fraud prevention, and legal compliance.

    Source: https://waymo.com/privacy/

  • Third-party sharingverified

    Shares your data with service providers and advertising partners including social media platforms. Acknowledges that sharing identifiers and network activity with ad partners may count as a sale under California law, and offers a Do Not Sell or Share opt-out.

    Source: https://waymo.com/privacy/

  • Data deletion controlverified

    You can access, update, and delete your data through account controls. California residents can request deletion by contacting privacy@waymo.com.

    Source: https://waymo.com/privacy/

Specs

drive_mode
fully_autonomous
generation
6
lidar_count
4
radar_count
6
camera_count
13
vehicle_platforms
Zeekr RT (Ojai); Hyundai IONIQ 5
external_audio_receivers
true
detection_range_m_nominal_approx
500
target_unit_cost_usd_under_waymo_stated
20000

What's under the hood

Frequently asked questions

Is the Waymo Driver (6th gen) actually available for purchase?
Not available to consumers. In internal use by Waymo.Source: Waymo — Company website
What does the Waymo Driver (6th gen) cost?
Waymo Driver (6th gen) costs $10-$20 one-time (actual sale price).Source: Waymo One service (multiple press reports: Ars Technica, The Verge, Bloomberg 2023-2024); fares are dynamic, comparable to Uber/Lyft surge; $10-20 typical for SF short-medium rides. No official Waymo rate card published.
Does the Waymo Driver (6th gen) really transports passengers?
Yes, verified. Waymo Driver (6th gen) performs this autonomously.Sources: Waymo One — official commercial robotaxi service page; Waymo One operates fully driverless paid rides in Phoenix, San Francisco, Austin, and Los Angeles with no safety driver; launched driverless public rides in October 2020 (Chandler, AZ) and expanded commercially through 2023-2025, Waymo opens its robotaxi service to all users in Phoenix area without safety drivers — TechCrunch, October 2020; first fully driverless commercial robotaxi service available to the general public in the US
Where is the Waymo Driver (6th gen) being used?
Waymo Driver (6th gen) is in use at: Nashville operated by Waymo (2026-04-07), Dallas operated by Waymo (2026-02-24), Houston operated by Waymo (2026-02-24), Orlando operated by Waymo (2026-02-01), and Miami operated by Waymo (2026-01-22), plus 10 more.Source: Waymo opens robotaxi service in Nashville, partners with Lyft (Apr 7, 2026)
What's the Waymo Driver (6th gen) running on?
Waymo Driver (6th gen) runs on Waymo Driver (foundation-model, commercial maturity).
Is the Waymo Driver (6th gen) safe?
Incidents on record: 11 (2 regulatory_action, 5 recall, 1 other, 1 malfunction, 2 collision). See NHTSA demands AV developers stop driverless vehicles from interfering with first responders.Source: NHTSA demands AV developers stop driverless vehicles from interfering with first responders
How does the Waymo Driver (6th gen) handle privacy?
Waymo has disclosed 11 privacy practices for Waymo Driver (6th gen): data sale (Waymo may share and sell your identifiers and network activity to advertising partners for targeted ads, which it says may count as a sal..), location tracking (Collects your pickup and drop-off locations, your full route, and device location during every trip), training data use (Waymo drafted a policy to use interior camera footage linked to your identity to train generative AI models, with an opt-out option planned), capture indicator (The interior microphones are off except during a voice call with Rider Support or when you choose to turn them on), training data use (Waymo drafted a policy to use interior camera footage associated with rider identity to train generative AI models, with an opt-out mecha..), data sale (Waymo acknowledges it may share and sell your identifiers and network activity to advertising partners, which qualifies as a sale or shar..), capture indicator (Interior microphones are not continuously recording. They only activate during voice calls with Rider Support or when you explicitly turn..), location tracking (Collects your precise pickup and drop-off locations, your full route, and your device's location throughout each trip), data retention (Account info including name, email, and trip history is kept while your account is active, and may be kept longer for disputes, investiga..), third-party sharing (Shares your data with service providers and advertising partners including social media platforms. Acknowledges that sharing identifiers..), and data deletion control (You can access, update, and delete your data through account controls. California residents can request deletion by contacting privacy@wa..).Sources: https://waymo.com/privacy/, https://techcrunch.com/2025/04/08/waymo-may-use-interior-camera-data-to-train-generative-ai-models-sell-ads/, https://support.google.com/waymo/answer/9190819
Who makes the Waymo Driver (6th gen)?
Waymo Driver (6th gen) is made by Waymo, based in Mountain View, CA.Source: Waymo — Company website

Video

PRIMARY SOURCE
Source: Waymo

Waymo's presentation of its safety research on the Waymo Driver, comparing its crash rates to human-driven benchmarks. The safety findings are Waymo's own analysis.

PRIMARY SOURCE
Source: Waymo

Waymo's look at the rider experience during a fully driverless Waymo One trip, with no safety operator in the vehicle. Service is geofenced and permitted city by city.

PRIMARY SOURCE
Source: Waymo

Waymo's explainer of how the Waymo Driver senses, solves, and moves (perception, prediction, and planning). The 'Driver' is the autonomous system, not the vehicle.

PRIMARY SOURCE
Source: Waymo

Waymo's guide to hailing a fully autonomous Waymo One robotaxi ride. Service is fully driverless (no safety operator) within geofenced areas; the Waymo Driver is the autonomous system, distinct from the vehicle.

PRIMARY SOURCE
Courtesy of Waymo

Official Waymo video documenting Steve Mahan experiencing the world's first fully autonomous ride on public roads in 2015. The vehicle had no steering wheel, no pedals, and no test driver.

Manufacturer

Waymo (registry record: /companies/waymo)

Compare side by side

Sources

  1. Waymo blog — Meet the 6th-generation Waymo Driver (primary announcement, sensor suite + cost targets) · https://waymo.com/blog/2024/08/meet-the-6th-generation-waymo-driver/ · 2024-08-19
  2. Waymo blog — Beginning fully autonomous operations with the 6th-gen Driver (primary, commercial launch) · https://waymo.com/blog/2026/02/ro-on-6th-gen-waymo-driver/ · 2026-02-12
  3. CNBC — Waymo begins deploying next-gen Ojai robotaxis (third-party trade coverage of the launch) · https://www.cnbc.com/2026/02/12/waymo-begins-deploying-next-gen-ojai-robotaxis-to-extend-its-us-lead.html · 2026-02-12
  4. WardsAuto — Inside the 6th-generation Waymo Driver (third-party deep-dive on the hardware suite) · https://www.wardsauto.com/news/archive-auto-waymo-6th-generation-driver-autonomous-driving-hardware-robotaxi-lidar-ai/725519/ · 2024-08-29
  5. Waymo — Company website · https://waymo.com
  6. Wikipedia — Waymo (history, operations, ownership) · https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Waymo
  7. Waymo One — official commercial robotaxi service page; Waymo One operates fully driverless paid rides in Phoenix, San Francisco, Austin, and Los Angeles with no safety driver; launched driverless public rides in October 2020 (Chandler, AZ) and expanded commercially through 2023-2025 · https://waymo.com/waymo-one/ · 2020-10-08
  8. Waymo opens its robotaxi service to all users in Phoenix area without safety drivers — TechCrunch, October 2020; first fully driverless commercial robotaxi service available to the general public in the US · https://techcrunch.com/2020/10/08/waymo-opens-its-robotaxi-service-to-all-users-in-phoenix-area-without-safety-drivers/ · 2020-10-08
  9. Waymo press/media imagery (https://waymo.com/media-resources/), editorial-publication grant, mandated credit "Source: Waymo". Original fetched + DEPLOY-blob-hosted 2026-06-04 (sourceUrl is the blob copy, not a hotlink). · https://waymo.com/media-resources/ · 2026-06-04
  10. Waymo I-PACE announcement · https://waymo.com/blog/2018/03/meet-our-newest-self-driving-vehicle · 2018-03-27
  11. Waymo official YouTube (@Waymo), embedded under standard YouTube embed terms. oEmbed author_url verified 2026-06-04. · https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NPuqXnagtCw · 2026-06-04
  12. Waymo opens robotaxi service in Nashville, partners with Lyft (Apr 7, 2026) · https://techcrunch.com/2026/04/07/waymo-opens-robotaxi-service-in-nashville-partners-with-lyft/
  13. Your Waymo ride now arriving in Nashville (first public fully-autonomous rides; Lyft/Flexdrive) · https://waymo.com/blog/2026/04/your-waymo-ride-now-arriving-in-nashville/
  14. Waymo hits 11 cities, partners with Lyft in Nashville · https://www.techbuzz.ai/articles/waymo-hits-11-cities-partners-with-lyft-in-nashville-push
  15. Dallas launch Feb 2026 · https://www.electrive.com/2026/02/25/waymo-launches-robotaxi-service-in-four-additional-us-cities/ · 2026-02-25
  16. Dallas planned 2026, employee-only first · https://www.cnbc.com/2025/11/18/waymo-texas-florida-2026.html · 2025-11-18
  17. Ready to ride: Dallas opens to public riders (fully autonomous, Waymo app) · https://waymo.com/blog/2026/02/dallas-houston-san-antonio-orlando/
  18. Waymo opens robotaxi to select riders (Dallas among 4 new cities) · https://www.cnbc.com/2026/02/24/waymo-opens-robotaxi-service-to-select-riders-in-4-more-us-cities.html
  19. Waymo robotaxis now operating in 10 US cities (Dallas commercial market) · https://techcrunch.com/2026/02/24/waymo-robotaxis-are-now-operating-in-10-us-cities/
  20. Waymo nears public launch for driverless cars in Dallas (prior testing phase) · https://www.nbcdfw.com/news/local/waymo-in-final-testing-phase-as-robotaxis-tech-continues-to-eye-dallas-market/3981519/
  21. Waymo plans to bring robotaxi service to Dallas in 2026 (announcement) · https://www.cnbc.com/2025/07/28/waymo-plans-to-bring-its-robotaxi-service-to-dallas-in-2026.html
  22. Houston employee-only fall 2025, public early 2026 · https://www.aol.com/news/google-owned-waymo-robotaxis-soon-151502821.html · 2025-11-08
  23. Waymo introduces autonomous rides in Houston (25 sq mi; downtown/Montrose/Heights) · https://www.axios.com/local/houston/2026/02/24/houston-waymo-autonomous-ride-hail-robotaxi
  24. Waymo expands Houston service area to ~50 sq mi ahead of FIFA World Cup · https://www.click2houston.com/news/local/2026/05/13/waymo-expands-houston-robotaxi-service-area-ahead-of-fifa-world-cup-events/
  25. Waymo gives Houstonians rides in fully self-driving cars · https://www.houstonpublicmedia.org/articles/news/transportation/2026/02/24/544147/waymo-houston-self-driving-cars-fully-autonomous/
  26. Waymo opens to everyone in Orlando April 15 2026 · https://waymo.com/updates/ · 2026-04-15
  27. Florida's new way to ride: Waymo opens to everyone in Miami and Orlando · https://waymo.com/blog/2026/04/floridas-new-way-to-ride/
  28. TechCrunch — Waymo Miami freeway routes suspended, surface streets continuing · https://techcrunch.com/2026/05/21/waymo-halts-freeway-rides-after-robotaxis-struggle-in-construction-zones/ · 2026-05-21
  29. Miami, your Waymo ride is ready (first public riders, Jan 22 2026) · https://waymo.com/blog/2026/01/miami-your-waymo-ride-is-ready/
  30. Waymo launches robotaxi service in Miami (6th market) · https://www.cnbc.com/2026/01/22/waymo-launches-robotaxi-service-in-miami-extending-us-lead.html
  31. Waymo Miami service now open to public · https://techcrunch.com/2026/01/22/waymo-continues-robotaxi-ramp-up-with-miami-service-now-open-to-public/
  32. Waymo to expand to Miami, aims to launch in 2026 (announcement) · https://www.nbcnews.com/business/autos/waymo-expand-miami-aims-launch-robotaxi-service-2026-rcna183028
  33. Atlanta: Waymo on Uber (active public launch June 24 2025; 65 sq mi; Uber-app dispatch) · https://www.uber.com/us/en/newsroom/waymo-on-uber-atl/
  34. Uber and Waymo begin driverless ride-hailing service in Atlanta · https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2025-06-24/uber-and-waymo-begin-driverless-ride-hailing-service-in-atlanta
  35. Uber and Waymo roll out robotaxi service in Atlanta (65 sq mi) · https://fortune.com/2025/06/24/uber-waymo-robotaxi-tesla-musk-atlanta/
  36. Uber and Waymo's commercial robotaxi service open in Atlanta · https://techcrunch.com/2025/06/24/uber-and-waymos-commercial-robotaxi-service-is-open-for-business-in-atlanta/
  37. Uber launches robotaxi service with Waymo in Atlanta (local) · https://www.atlantanewsfirst.com/2025/06/24/uber-launches-robotaxi-service-with-waymo-atlanta/
  38. Austin commercial 2025 · https://www.understandingai.org/p/waymos-next-five-cities-are-all-in · 2025-11-18
  39. Waymo and Uber expand partnership to bring autonomous ride-hailing to Austin and Atlanta · https://waymo.com/blog/2024/09/waymo-and-uber-expand-partnership/
  40. Uber users in Austin getting matched with Waymo robotaxis (launch Mar 4, 2025) · https://techcrunch.com/2025/03/04/uber-users-in-austin-are-getting-matched-with-waymo-robotaxis/
  41. Waymo autonomous vehicles launch on Uber network in Austin · https://www.axios.com/2025/03/04/uber-waymo-robotaxi-austin
  42. Uber and Waymo launch driverless ride service in Austin · https://fortune.com/2025/03/04/uber-waymo-launch-driverless-ride-service-austin/
  43. Waymo expands coverage across 11 cities (Austin active, ~90-130 sq mi, May 2026) · https://electrek.co/2026/05/13/waymo-expands-coverage-1400-square-miles-11-cities/
  44. Waymo, Uber expand service in Austin (service-area expansion) · https://www.kxan.com/news/local/austin/waymo-uber-expand-service-in-austin-heres-where/
  45. TechCrunch — Waymo San Antonio service halted, software recall for flooding · https://techcrunch.com/2026/05/21/waymo-pauses-atlanta-service-as-its-robotaxis-keep-driving-into-floods/ · 2026-05-21
  46. TechCrunch — Waymo LA freeway routes suspended, surface streets continuing · https://techcrunch.com/2026/05/waymo-suspends-freeway-service/ · 2026-05-21
  47. CPUC autonomous-vehicle program permits issued (Waymo LA driverless deployment) · https://www.cpuc.ca.gov/regulatory-services/licensing/transportation-licensing-and-analysis-branch/autonomous-vehicle-programs/autonomous-vehicle-program-permits-issued
  48. Waymo approved to expand robotaxi service in LA + SF Peninsula (Mar 2024) · https://www.cnbc.com/2024/03/01/waymo-approved-to-expand-robotaxi-service-in-los-angeles-sf-peninsula.html
  49. Scaling Waymo One across four cities (LA commercial rollout) · https://waymo.com/blog/2024/03/scaling-waymo-one-safely-across-four-cities-this-year/
  50. Waymo One open to all in Los Angeles (full public launch, Nov 2024) · https://waymo.com/blog/2024/11/waymo-one-open-to-all-in-los-angeles/
  51. Waymo opens robotaxi service to anyone in LA (largest expansion yet) · https://www.cnbc.com/2024/11/12/waymo-opens-robotaxi-service-to-anyone-in-los-angeles.html
  52. Public freeway rides in LA (Nov 2025) · https://waymo.com/blog/2025/11/taking-riders-further-safely-with-freeways/
  53. CPUC approves permits for Waymo to charge fares for SF passenger service · https://www.cpuc.ca.gov/news-and-updates/all-news/cpuc-approves-permits-for-cruise-and-waymo-to-charge-fares-for-passenger-service-in-sf-2023
  54. Waymo OK'd to expand robotaxi service into more of Silicon Valley · https://techcrunch.com/2025/05/19/waymo-gets-ok-to-expand-robotaxi-service-into-more-of-silicon-valley/
  55. Waymo begins freeway robotaxi rides in SF, LA and Phoenix · https://www.cnbc.com/2025/11/12/waymo-robotaxi-starts-freeway-highway-rides.html
  56. Autonomous Waymo rides at SFO (paid airport service) · https://waymo.com/blog/2026/01/waymo-rides-at-sfo/
  57. Waymo Driver Gen6: Our most advanced autonomous driver yet · https://waymo.com/blog/2025/03/waymo-driver-gen6/
  58. Phoenix — Waymo's first fully-driverless service (2020) · https://www.therobotreport.com/waymo-launching-driverless-robotaxis-in-5-more-cities/ · 2025-11-18
  59. Waymo is opening its fully driverless service to the general public in Phoenix · https://waymo.com/blog/2020/10/waymo-is-opening-its-fully-driverless-service-in-phoenix/ · 2020-10-08
  60. Waymo One doubles Phoenix service area (~180 sq mi) · https://waymo.com/blog/2023/05/waymo-one-doubles-service-area-in/
  61. Largest autonomous ride-hail territory in US now even larger (Phoenix expansion) · https://waymo.com/blog/2024/06/largest-autonomous-ride-hail-territory-in-us-now-even-larger/
  62. Waymo launches curbside robotaxi pickup at Phoenix Sky Harbor airport · https://techcrunch.com/2023/12/14/waymo-launches-curbside-robotaxi-pickup-at-phoenix-airport/
  63. Expanding rider-only freeway testing (Phoenix) · https://waymo.com/blog/2024/01/from-surface-streets-to-freeways-safely-expanding-our-rider-only-testing/
  64. Waymo starts to open driverless ride-hailing service to the public · https://techcrunch.com/2020/10/08/waymo-starts-to-open-driverless-ride-hailing-service-to-the-public/ · 2020-10-08
  65. https://waymo.com/privacy/
  66. https://techcrunch.com/2025/04/08/waymo-may-use-interior-camera-data-to-train-generative-ai-models-sell-ads/
  67. https://support.google.com/waymo/answer/9190819

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