Waymo is aiming for 1 million paid rides per week as the autonomous vehicle company accelerates its expansion plans, according to co-CEO Tekedra Mawakana. The ambitious target signals growing confidence in Waymo's commercial operations as it scales its robotaxi service across multiple U.S. cities.

Since launching its fully driverless service in Phoenix in 2020, Waymo has gradually expanded to San Francisco, Los Angeles, and Austin. The company currently operates thousands of rides weekly but has kept specific volume targets private until now. Reaching 1 million weekly rides would represent a significant leap from current operations and position Waymo as the clear leader in commercial autonomous transportation.

This expansion comes as Waymo faces increasing competition from other autonomous vehicle companies and traditional ride-hailing services exploring self-driving technology. The company's partnership with Hyundai for next-generation electric vehicles and its recent $5.6 billion funding round from Alphabet demonstrate the substantial resources being deployed to achieve these growth targets. Waymo's progress will be closely watched by investors and industry observers as a barometer for the commercial viability of autonomous vehicles.