Waymo Accelerates Robotaxi Manufacturing Surge at Advanced Arizona Production Hub

Fleet of Waymo autonomous vehicles, including robotaxis, lined up on display in front of a Waymo facility — Waymo showcases its autonomous vehicle lineup as it scales up robotaxi production at its new Mesa, Arizona plant.

With the opening of a new plant in Mesa, Arizona, in 2025, Waymo is making great progress in its capacity to produce autonomous vehicles. 2,000 more Jaguar I-PACE electric cars featuring Waymo’s sixth-generation autonomous technology will be produced at this site in partnership with Magna International. The plant represents a significant advancement in the deployment of autonomous vehicles since it is built to allow vehicles to start providing customer service within 30 minutes of manufacture.

Within the next 18 months, Waymo plans to add fleets in Atlanta, Miami, and Washington, D.C. Magna, a Canadian car components company, is building the plant. Magna put the SUVs together in Austria.

In 2018, two years prior to deploying its first robotaxi on Phoenix streets, Waymo purchased 20,000 Jaguar I-PACEs. In February, co-CEO Dmitri Dolgov told The Road Ahead podcast that it costs roughly $100,000 to equip each of them with Waymo technology. I-PACEs sold for about $73,000 at retail.

However, Jaguar stopped producing high-end electric cars in December 2024; the new facility will upgrade the thousands of I-PACEs that Waymo already owned. Waymo also intends to start buying two less expensive cars: Zeekr compact vans and Hyundai Ioniq 5 hatchbacks, which are made in a Savannah, Georgia, suburb. With the start of high taxes, the latter, a Chinese brand, might become difficult.

Growth of the Robotaxi Fleet:

Waymo intends to dramatically increase the number of robotaxis in its fleet from the current 1,500 to 3,500 by the end of 2026. This will be made possible by the new factory in Arizona, which will double production capacity and guarantee that there are more cars available for Waymo One, the company’s autonomous ride-hailing service. Waymo’s sixth-generation autonomous technology will power Zeekr RT minivans and Jaguar I-PACE electric cars in production.

Vehicle Type Diversification:

A number of new electric cars, like the Hyundai Ioniq 5, are being tested by Waymo and may potentially be included in its robotaxi service. Waymo will be able to customize its services for various passenger types and environments with the addition of additional car variants.

Advanced Safety Features and AI:

Waymo is constantly enhancing its AI algorithms to improve its self-driving technology. These features are intended to increase the safety, effectiveness, and ability of its driverless cars to handle challenging driving situations. To advance its autonomous technology to new heights of sophistication, including more dependable decision-making in demanding urban settings, it is making significant investments in research.

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Rabia Majeed

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With a focus on technical and SEO writing, Rabia Majeed is a… With a focus on technical and SEO writing, Rabia Majeed is an accomplished content writer and strategist. She produces readable, interesting, and search engine optimized content that benefits readers and ranks highly in search results. She assists brands in expanding through astute, impactful content strategies and has a solid understanding of digital trends.