title.Waymo Hits 450,000 Weekly Paid Rides, Expanding Its Lead Over Tesla

Waymo, the robotaxi unit owned by Alphabet, has crossed 450,000 weekly paid rides, according to a letter from investor Tiger Global viewed by CNBC.

That figure is almost double the 250,000 weekly paid rides the company reported in April.

“Waymo is the clear leader in autonomous driving, recently surpassing 450k trips per week with a product that is ten times safer than human drivers,” Tiger Global wrote in a letter announcing the launch of a new fund.

Waymo is one of the largest positions in Tiger’s 2024 fund.

In 2024 the company rolled out a series of expansions, including the debut of autonomous rides on freeways in three cities and service launches in Miami, Dallas, Houston, San Antonio and Orlando.

The latest milestone underscores Waymo’s lead over rival Tesla, which has been running limited pilots in Austin and the Bay Area.

Tesla’s most recent earnings call disclosed that its fleet accumulated a quarter‑million miles in Austin and more than one million miles in the Bay Area. By contrast, Waymo announced in July that it had logged 100 million fully autonomous miles to date.

Analysts see the surge in paid rides as a validation of Waymo’s technology stack, which combines high‑definition LiDAR, advanced perception algorithms and a robust safety architecture. The company’s ability to scale operations while maintaining a safety record that is reportedly ten times better than human drivers is attracting institutional investors seeking exposure to AI‑driven mobility.

From a financial perspective, the jump to 450,000 weekly rides translates into a significant revenue uplift. Assuming an average fare of $20 per ride, weekly revenue could exceed $9 million, positioning Waymo for profitability faster than many of its autonomous‑vehicle peers.

Industry observers also note that Waymo’s expansion into freeway corridors could unlock new market segments, such as intercity commuter flows and logistics corridors, where the economics of driverless fleets are most favorable.

Looking ahead, Waymo plans to deepen its partnership ecosystem, integrating with municipal transit agencies and rideshare platforms to increase vehicle utilization. The company’s roadmap includes developing a modular “autonomy‑as‑a‑service” platform that could be licensed to other OEMs, potentially creating a new revenue stream beyond its own robotaxi fleet.

Overall, Waymo’s rapid growth in paid rides, coupled with its safety claims and strategic expansion, reinforces its position as a front‑runner in the autonomous‑driving race.