# Waymo Driver 6th-gen

Manufacturer: [Waymo](/companies/waymo)  
Category: av

## Media

- **Image (primary-source)**: [Waymo Jaguar I-PACE robotaxi in San Francisco](https://z7xgmkppvtftrfj0.public.blob.vercel-storage.com/imageAssets/waymo-driver-gen6/waymo-ipace-sf-48bca63b8bd6.jpg). A Waymo Jaguar I-PACE robotaxi near the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco, with riders beside it. Waymo operates fully driverless (no safety operator) within geofenced areas; the Waymo Driver is the autonomous system, distinct from the vehicle. _(Source: Waymo)_
- **Video (primary-source)**: [Waymo Driver safety research](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZpZAJPKw22c). 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. _(Source: Waymo)_

_Each clip and image on this page carries a provenance label. [About our media provenance](/consumer#media-provenance)._

## Summary

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.

## Top line

> Waymo Driver 6th-gen is internal use only (not for retail), no capability claims are on file, 11 verified deployments are on file, and 7 incidents are on record.

## Readiness

- **Availability** (internal-only): Internal use only (not for retail).
- **Price honesty** (no-price): No price points on file for Waymo Driver 6th-gen.
- **Capability honesty** (no-claims): No reviewed capability claims on file for Waymo Driver 6th-gen.
- **Real-world use** (commercial): Maturity: commercial. 11 verified deployments in the registry.
- **Safety record** (incidents-on-file): 7 incidents on record across 11 verified deployments.

## What it claims to do

_No reviewed capability claims on file._

## Price

_No reviewed price points on file._

## Real-world use

- [Nashville](/deployments/waymo-driver-gen6-nashville), first seen 2026-04-07
- [Houston](/deployments/waymo-driver-gen6-houston), first seen 2026-02-24
- [Dallas](/deployments/waymo-driver-gen6-dallas), first seen 2026-02-24
- [Orlando](/deployments/waymo-driver-gen6-orlando), first seen 2026-02-01
- [Miami](/deployments/waymo-driver-gen6-miami), first seen 2026-01-22
- [Atlanta](/deployments/waymo-driver-gen6-atlanta), first seen 2025-06-01
- [Austin](/deployments/waymo-driver-gen6-austin), first seen 2025-03-01
- [San Antonio](/deployments/waymo-driver-gen6-san-antonio), first seen 2025-01-01
- [Los Angeles](/deployments/waymo-driver-gen6-los-angeles), first seen 2024-03-01
- [San Francisco](/deployments/waymo-driver-gen6-san-francisco), first seen 2024-01-01
- [Phoenix](/deployments/waymo-driver-gen6-phoenix), first seen 2020-10-01

## Safety record

- [Waymo temporarily suspended freeway robotaxi service in four cities to improve construction-zone performance (May 2026)](/incidents/waymo-freeway-service-suspension-2026-05), 2026-05-21
- [Waymo suspended Atlanta robotaxi service after a robotaxi was stuck amid flooding (May 2026)](/incidents/waymo-atlanta-flood-suspension-2026-05), 2026-05-21
- [Waymo issued a software recall and halted San Antonio service over robotaxis driving into floods (May 2026)](/incidents/waymo-san-antonio-flood-recall-2026-05), 2026-05-14
- [Waymo recalls 1,212 robotaxis over low-speed collisions with gates, chains and barriers](/incidents/waymo-barrier-collision-recall-2025), 2025-05-13
- [Waymo robotaxi and Serve Robotics delivery robot collided in West Hollywood (Dec 2024)](/incidents/waymo-serve-weho-collision-2024-12-27), 2024-12-27
- [Waymo recalls 672 vehicles after a robotaxi struck a utility pole in Phoenix](/incidents/waymo-pole-collision-recall-2024), 2024-06-12
- [NHTSA opens a probe into Waymo's 5th-gen ADS after reports of unexpected driving behavior](/incidents/waymo-nhtsa-odi-investigation-2024), 2024-05-13

## Privacy

_No privacy practices disclosed or on file for Waymo Driver 6th-gen._

## 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

- Runs on [Waymo Driver](/brains/waymo-driver) (foundation-model)

## 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](https://waymo.com)._

### What does the Waymo Driver 6th-gen cost?

Not announced.

### Where is the Waymo Driver 6th-gen being used?

Waymo Driver 6th-gen is in use at: Nashville (2026-04-07), Houston (2026-02-24), Dallas (2026-02-24), Orlando (2026-02-01), and Miami (2026-01-22), plus 6 more.

_Source: [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/)._

### 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: 7 (1 other, 1 malfunction, 3 recall, 1 collision, 1 regulatory_action). See Waymo temporarily suspended freeway robotaxi service in four cities to improve construction-zone performance (May 2026).

_Source: [Waymo temporarily suspended freeway robotaxi service in four cities to improve construction-zone performance (May 2026)](/incidents/waymo-freeway-service-suspension-2026-05)._

### How does the Waymo Driver 6th-gen handle privacy?

No privacy practices disclosed or on file for Waymo Driver 6th-gen.

### Who makes the Waymo Driver 6th-gen?

Waymo Driver 6th-gen is made by Waymo, based in Mountain View, California, USA.

_Source: [Waymo — Company website](https://waymo.com)._

## Manufacturer

- [Waymo (https://waymo.com)](https://waymo.com)

## Compared to

- [Didi Robotaxi](/consumer/models/didi-robotaxi)
- [Robotaxi GXR](/consumer/models/weride-gxr)

## 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 halts freeway rides May 2026 after construction-zone struggles](https://techcrunch.com/2026/05/21/waymo-halts-freeway-rides-after-robotaxis-struggle-in-construction-zones/) · 2026-05-21
8. [Waymo $16B round, $126B valuation, 127M miles/90% serious-injury reduction, 15M 2025 rides, 20M lifetime](https://waymo.com/blog/2026/02/waymo-raises-usd16-billion-investment-round/) · 2026-02-02
9. [Waymo $16B at $126B post-money, 2x Oct-2024 $45B; markets + 2026 expansion plans](https://www.cnbc.com/2026/02/02/waymo-announced-16-billion-fundraising-round.html) · 2026-02-02
10. [Waymo financials — Series D detail, ~$27B total raised, weekly-ride growth, revenue/fare](https://sacra.com/c/waymo/) · 2026-05-01
11. [500k weekly rides, $126B valuation, San Antonio flood recall, NHTSA/NTSB investigations](https://www.thestreet.com/automotive/waymo-recalls-thousands-of-robotaxis-for-a-surprising-reason) · 2026-05-12
12. [Reported in Tesla-fleet context: Waymo ~3,000 robotaxis, Mesa AZ Magna facility for 2,000+ more, Atlanta/Miami/DC launches](https://electrek.co/2026/05/26/tesla-robotaxi-fleet-shrinking-not-growing/) · 2026-05-26
13. [Waymo’s newest robotaxi is Chinese-made, built to make money, and now accepting riders](https://techcrunch.com/2026/05/28/waymos-newest-robotaxi-is-chinese-made-built-to-make-money-and-now-accepting-riders/) · 2026-05-28T16:52:48.000Z
14. [Waymo dominates autonomous vehicle registrations as Tesla trails behind](https://techcrunch.com/2026/05/28/waymo-dominates-texas-autonomous-vehicle-registrations-as-tesla-trails-behind/) · 2026-05-29T00:14:35.000Z
15. [Waymo official YouTube (@Waymo), embedded under standard YouTube embed terms. oEmbed author_url verified 2026-06.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZpZAJPKw22c) · 2026-06-05
16. [Waymo official YouTube (@Waymo), embedded under standard YouTube embed terms. oEmbed author_url verified 2026-06.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pUjuofYsyow) · 2026-06-05
17. [Waymo official YouTube (@Waymo), embedded under standard YouTube embed terms. oEmbed author_url verified 2026-06.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hA_-MkU0Nfw) · 2026-06-05
18. [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
19. [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
20. [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/)
21. [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/)
22. [Waymo hits 11 cities, partners with Lyft in Nashville](https://www.techbuzz.ai/articles/waymo-hits-11-cities-partners-with-lyft-in-nashville-push)
23. [Houston employee-only fall 2025, public early 2026](https://www.aol.com/news/google-owned-waymo-robotaxis-soon-151502821.html) · 2025-11-08
24. [Houston public launch Feb 2026](https://www.electrive.com/2026/02/25/waymo-launches-robotaxi-service-in-four-additional-us-cities/) · 2026-02-25
25. [Ready to ride: Houston opens to public riders (fully autonomous, Waymo app)](https://waymo.com/blog/2026/02/dallas-houston-san-antonio-orlando/)
26. [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)
27. [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/)
28. [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/)
29. [Waymo to launch in more Texas and Florida cities in 2026 (Houston announced)](https://www.cnbc.com/2025/11/18/waymo-texas-florida-2026.html)
30. [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)
31. [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/)
32. [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/)
33. [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)
34. [Waymo opens to everyone in Orlando April 15 2026](https://waymo.com/updates/) · 2026-04-15
35. [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/)
36. [Miami, your Waymo ride is ready (first public riders, Jan 22 2026)](https://waymo.com/blog/2026/01/miami-your-waymo-ride-is-ready/)
37. [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)
38. [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/)
39. [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)
40. [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/)
41. [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)
42. [Uber and Waymo roll out robotaxi service in Atlanta (65 sq mi)](https://fortune.com/2025/06/24/uber-waymo-robotaxi-tesla-musk-atlanta/)
43. [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/)
44. [Uber launches robotaxi service with Waymo in Atlanta (local)](https://www.atlantanewsfirst.com/2025/06/24/uber-launches-robotaxi-service-with-waymo-atlanta/)
45. [Austin commercial 2025](https://www.understandingai.org/p/waymos-next-five-cities-are-all-in) · 2025-11-18
46. [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/)
47. [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/)
48. [Waymo autonomous vehicles launch on Uber network in Austin](https://www.axios.com/2025/03/04/uber-waymo-robotaxi-austin)
49. [Uber and Waymo launch driverless ride service in Austin](https://fortune.com/2025/03/04/uber-waymo-launch-driverless-ride-service-austin/)
50. [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/)
51. [Waymo, Uber expand service in Austin (service-area expansion)](https://www.kxan.com/news/local/austin/waymo-uber-expand-service-in-austin-heres-where/)
52. [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
53. [TechCrunch — Waymo LA freeway routes suspended, surface streets continuing](https://techcrunch.com/2026/05/waymo-suspends-freeway-service/) · 2026-05-21
54. [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)
55. [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)
56. [Scaling Waymo One across four cities (LA commercial rollout)](https://waymo.com/blog/2024/03/scaling-waymo-one-safely-across-four-cities-this-year/)
57. [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/)
58. [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)
59. [Public freeway rides in LA (Nov 2025)](https://waymo.com/blog/2025/11/taking-riders-further-safely-with-freeways/)
60. [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)
61. [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/)
62. [Waymo begins freeway robotaxi rides in SF, LA and Phoenix](https://www.cnbc.com/2025/11/12/waymo-robotaxi-starts-freeway-highway-rides.html)
63. [Autonomous Waymo rides at SFO (paid airport service)](https://waymo.com/blog/2026/01/waymo-rides-at-sfo/)
64. [Waymo Driver Gen6: Our most advanced autonomous driver yet](https://waymo.com/blog/2025/03/waymo-driver-gen6/)
65. [Phoenix — Waymo's first fully-driverless service (2020)](https://www.therobotreport.com/waymo-launching-driverless-robotaxis-in-5-more-cities/) · 2025-11-18
66. [Waymo opens its fully driverless service to the public in Phoenix (Oct 2020)](https://waymo.com/blog/2020/10/waymo-is-opening-its-fully-driverless-service-in-phoenix/)
67. [Waymo One doubles Phoenix service area (~180 sq mi)](https://waymo.com/blog/2023/05/waymo-one-doubles-service-area-in/)
68. [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/)
69. [Waymo launches curbside robotaxi pickup at Phoenix Sky Harbor airport](https://techcrunch.com/2023/12/14/waymo-launches-curbside-robotaxi-pickup-at-phoenix-airport/)
70. [Expanding rider-only freeway testing (Phoenix)](https://waymo.com/blog/2024/01/from-surface-streets-to-freeways-safely-expanding-our-rider-only-testing/)

_Canonical: https://deploy.report/models/waymo-driver-gen6_