October DealsAmazon USOctober deal check: compare before you payAmazon US: current deals, useful picks and tech finds.Check DealsPC HealthRecommendedCrashes, freezes, slowdowns? Check your PC nowSpot repairable issues before they interrupt work.Check PCOctober DealsAmazon USDeal season is back - check today's better picksAmazon US: current deals, useful picks and tech finds.See Picks×
Skip to content
CarCodyAdvertise
Service recordThe Garage

Waymo to test in 10 new cities in 2025, starting with Las Vegas and San Diego

Waymo planned limited, initially human-driven testing in 10 or more new cities during 2025, beginning with Las Vegas and San Diego—not an immediate robotaxi launch.
Entry399 Date Time5 min MechanicCarCody Team

Free tools Windows power users keep installed

One-click scans. No signup required.

Special offer. See more information about Outbyte and uninstall instructions. Please review EULA and Privacy policy.

Waymo said on January 29, 2025, that it planned to test its autonomous-driving technology in 10 or more new cities during the year, beginning with Las Vegas and San Diego. The announcement represented a major expansion of the company’s testing footprint—but it did not mean Waymo was immediately offering driverless rides in either city.

What Waymo announced

The Alphabet-backed autonomous-vehicle company said it would take the Waymo Driver to at least 10 cities that were new to its testing program in 2025. Las Vegas and San Diego were named as the first locations.

Waymo did not publish the complete list of cities with the announcement. The company described the work as testing and data collection rather than a commercial rollout of its Waymo One ride-hailing service.

Detail What was confirmed
Announcement date January 29, 2025
Expansion target 10 or more new cities during 2025
First named locations Las Vegas and San Diego
Fleet size Fewer than 10 vehicles per city initially
Initial operation Human-driven testing and local data collection
Commercial passenger service Not promised as part of the January announcement

Why the cars needed to be driven manually first

A new city presents problems that cannot be solved by simply loading an existing map into a vehicle. Road markings, temporary construction, lane merges, traffic-light placement, curb layouts, unusual intersections and local driving habits all affect how an autonomous system must operate.

Special offer. See more information about Outbyte and uninstall instructions. Please review EULA and Privacy policy.
#1 Best Overall
Sale
ROVE R2-4K Dual Dash Cam Front and Rear, STARVIS 2 Sensor, Free 128GB Card
  • UPSCALED 4K FRONT + 1080P REAR DUAL DASH CAM: The ROVE R2-4K DUAL records the road ahead and behind at the same time. The front camera captures at 2.5K (QHD) and intelligently upscales to 4K (2160P) for higher-detail playback, while the rear camera records at Full HD 1080P. This is upscaled 4K, not native 4K, engineered to show sharper everyday detail than standard 1080P dash cams, so you can read license plates, signs, and surroundings in front and rear footage.
  • SONY STARVIS 2 IMX675 SENSOR + SUPER NIGHT VISION: The front camera uses a Sony STARVIS 2 IMX675 5MP image sensor with a wide F1.5 aperture (F1.8 rear) and HDR to pull in more light for clearer low-light footage. This advanced sensor enhances nighttime clarity, helping capture license plates, road signs, and surrounding vehicles with greater reliability when driving after dark, through tunnels, or in dusk and dawn conditions.
  • ULTRA FAST 5.8GHz WIFI/ UP TO 20MB/s DOWNLOAD SPEED: With its built-in dual-band 5.8GHz and 2.4GHz WiFi, you can use the ROVE dash cam app to view and manage dash cam recordings instantly on your iPhone and Android smartphone. Using the ROVE app, download your recorded videos directly to your smartphone at up to 20 MB/sec, then easily share them on social media with friends and family. Additionally, manage camera settings and update the latest firmware over-the-air via the ROVE App.
  • CAR CAMERA WITH GPS: The new front and rear dashcam comes with built-in GPS, which enables you to view real-time live speed and compass on the 3” IPS wide camera screen. It records precise driving routes, locations, and speed stamps directly on the video so you can watch dashcam videos with GPS data using ROVE's free GPS Player on your PC or Mac & get additional evidence when you need it.
  • FEATURES WITH STATE-OF-THE-ART TECHNOLOGY INCLUDED: Experience peace of mind with this front and rear car dash cam. It comes with a free 128GB microSD card and offers advanced features such as an f1.5 aperture, motion detection, G-sensor, seamless loop recording, emergency video lock, screen saver, live speed and compass direction, voice guidance, ring of threads for optional CPL filter, a built-in supercapacitor for extended product life, support for up to 1TB microSD cards, and many more.

For the initial deployments, trained Waymo specialists drove a small fleet through each city. This allowed the company to gather local information and assess how the Waymo Driver handled the area’s road layouts, traffic patterns and conditions before attempting autonomous testing.

Waymo has used a similar approach for road-trip and market-expansion work: send a limited, closed-to-the-public fleet into an unfamiliar area, collect detailed observations with human specialists, and then evaluate whether autonomous testing is appropriate. That process is different from launching a public robotaxi service.

Las Vegas and San Diego were starting points, not full launches

The most important distinction in the announcement is between testing and commercial service.

  • Testing: A small number of vehicles is used to map roads, gather data and study local conditions. Human drivers remain responsible for operating the cars.
  • Autonomous testing: The Waymo Driver may operate the vehicle under controlled conditions after the company has built sufficient knowledge of the environment.
  • Commercial service: Members of the public can request rides through Waymo One, with the company operating a passenger service in the market.

The January 2025 plan established the first stage. It did not announce that passengers could book driverless rides on the Las Vegas Strip or anywhere in San Diego.

Special offer. See more information about Outbyte and uninstall instructions. Please review EULA and Privacy policy.

What the expansion meant for Waymo

Waymo’s established commercial operations in cities such as Phoenix, San Francisco and Los Angeles gave it a base for expanding the Waymo Driver into more varied environments. Las Vegas and San Diego offered different testing conditions:

Rank #2
Sale
REDTIGER 4K STARVIS 2 Dashcam Front Rear, 5GHz WiFi 20MB/s, Free 128GB Card
  • [4K+1080P Dual Recording] REDTIGER F7N TOUCH captures your drive journey in stunning 4K UHD resolution with STARVIS 2 sensor 170° wide-angle view for the front dash cam and 1080P FHD resolution 140° wide-angle for the rear car camera. Equipped with WDR and HDR technology, the enhanced super night vision ensures better visibility even in low-light situations, providing you with reliable recordings day and night.
  • [Voice Control & Touch Screen] F7NTOUCH dashcam features voice commands, allowing for hands-free control of your 4K car camera, which enhances safety by minimizing distractions. The dual camera dash cam also has smart touchscreen that can lock emergency video, turn on wifi, and capture scenery with one click. Redtiger also retains the buttons, multiple control methods are integrated.
  • [Built-in GPS & 5.8GHz WiFi] Both Android and IOS users can connect to dashcam WiFi via the REDTIGER Cam app. Although the dash cam is installed wired, you can enjoy wireless control on your smartphone, faster 20MB/s download speed and share your driving experiences in real-time with friends and insurance companies. Car recorder built-in GPS provides traceable location, speed, and accurate route in the recordings.
  • [Loop Recording & G-Sensor] REDTIGER F7N TOUCH dual channel dash cam automatically overwrites the oldest footage when the memory is full, ensuring endless recording with the included 128GB card. With a built-in G-sensor that detects sudden movements or impacts, it automatically locks and protects the associated footage when an event is detected on the road, ensuring it won't be overwritten during loop recording.
  • [24-hour Parking Monitoring*] REDTIGER Car dashboard camera offers G-Sensor Parking Mode that automatically record when it detects any collisions or sudden motion while vehicles is parked. Time Lapse Parking Mode provides continuous surveillance by offering a condensed overview of any events that may occur during parking periods. *Please note that the parking monitoring function requires a separate hardwire kit.
  • Las Vegas: A dense tourism and entertainment market with heavy traffic around the Strip, hotel access roads, taxis, rideshare activity and large pedestrian volumes.
  • San Diego: A geographically spread-out market with freeways, hills, coastal roads, residential neighborhoods and varied border-region traffic patterns.

Testing in these environments could help Waymo assess how well its system transfers between cities instead of relying only on experience from the markets where it already operates. It also allowed the company to identify operational challenges before committing to a public launch.

What happened after the 2025 testing plan

The original announcement should be read as the beginning of a staged process, not as a statement that commercial service had already arrived.

On November 3, 2025, Waymo announced plans to bring commercial autonomous ride-hailing to Las Vegas beginning in summer 2026. The company said it intended to serve the Las Vegas Strip and was working toward eventual airport service.

What’s actually slowing this PC down?

Pick the symptom - the matching free tool is one click away.

Special offer. See more information about Outbyte and uninstall instructions. Please review EULA and Privacy policy.

That same day, Waymo said it planned to begin serving San Diego in 2026, subject to expanding deployment permits. It also said it was training first responders and working with local community partners.

Waymo’s July 8, 2026 update said the company was preparing to begin fully autonomous operations without a human specialist in San Diego and Las Vegas. The initial rides were expected to be for employees, followed by public access.

Rank #3
Sale
REDTIGER F7NP 4K Dash Cam Front Rear, STARVIS 2 Sensor, Free Card Included
  • [4K+1080P Front & Rear Recording] REDTIGER F7NP dash cam captures every detail with stunning 4K front and 1080P rear video. Featuring the advanced STARVIS 2 sensor plus the 170° front and 140° rear wide-angle lens, this dash camera delivers sharper images, balanced lighting, and reliable evidence day or night. Ideal for commuting, road trips, rideshare drivers, and new drivers.
  • [STARVIS 2 Sensor & WDR Night Vision] Equipped with the advanced STARVIS 2 sensor, F1.5 large aperture, and 6-layer optical lens, F7NP 4K dual dash cam delivers clear, high-contrast footage in any lighting. WDR and HDR technology balance highlights and shadows, ensuring sharp night vision and crisp details day or night, providing reliable evidence and enhanced safety for every drive.
  • [Built-in 5.8GHz WiFi & Smart App] Connect your smartphone to the dashcam’s built-in 5.8GHz WiFi to enjoy ultra-fast downloads up to 20MB/s. Using Redtiger Cam app, you can preview, download, and replay videos in real time, check GPS ata (route, speed, and location), and manage settings effortlessly, making it simple to review footage and share important moments.
  • [Loop Recording & Free Memory Card] This car camera supports seamless loop recording to ensure continuous coverage without interruption. Older files are automatically overwritten when storage is full, while important events are safely locked. A free memory card is included, giving you ample space for 4K recordings and allowing you to use the camera right out of the box.
  • [24/7 Parking Mode* & G-Sensor] Enjoy round-the-clock protection with two parking modes: time-lapse recording for continuous low-bitrate monitoring and G-sensor mode that records when collision is detected. The car security camera with G-sensor automatically locks important clips, ensuring crucial evidence is safely preserved even while your vehicle is parked.(*Hardwire kit needed.)

Those later developments show why the wording matters: the 2025 activity was limited testing and mapping, while the planned 2026 operations were the commercial deployment phase.

What was still unknown

Waymo did not identify every city in the 10-or-more-city plan when it announced the program. It also did not provide a public launch timetable for each location, promise that every test city would become a Waymo One market, or say that every vehicle would operate autonomously during the initial testing period.

Special offer. See more information about Outbyte and uninstall instructions. Please review EULA and Privacy policy.

The number should therefore be treated as an expansion target rather than a confirmed list of 10 commercial service areas. Waymo later described preparations for operations in more than 20 additional cities in 2026, indicating that its expansion plans continued to evolve after the January 2025 announcement.

Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Support on Ko-Fi

What drivers and local residents should expect

People in the selected cities could see Waymo vehicles gathering road data without being able to hail one. The cars might look like robotaxis, but the presence of Waymo hardware or distinctive vehicle markings did not by itself indicate that public driverless rides were available.

During the initial phase, the vehicles were expected to be few in number and operated by trained human drivers. Local testing also does not automatically mean that a city has approved commercial autonomous service. Permits, safety reviews, fleet operations, first-responder procedures and other local requirements must be addressed before a public launch.

Rank #4
Sale
Dash Cam Front and Rear for Cars, 2.5K+1080P Dual Camera with 2" Screen
  • 2.5K Front + 1080P Rear Recording: S60 records 25601440P front video and 1080P rear video to help capture what happens ahead of and behind your car. The front 170 wide-angle lens helps cover more of the road during daily drives or unexpected events
  • WDR Night Vision: The starlight night vision sensor and 6-layer glass lens help improve video clarity in low-light conditions. WDR helps balance bright headlights and darker areas, making footage easier to review at night, in tunnels, parking lots, and other changing light conditions
  • Loop Recording & G-Sensor Lock: Loop recording replaces older unprotected clips when the card is full. SD card is not included, and the dash cam supports cards up to 256GB. If a sudden impact, hard braking, or collision is detected, the G-sensor locks the current clip to help protect important footage
  • Optional 24-Hour Parking Monitor: S60 supports a 24-hour parking monitor with time-lapse recording. This feature requires a compatible Type-C hardwire kit, not included
  • 2" IPS Screen & 360 Suction Mount: The 2" IPS screen lets you check the camera view and adjust basic settings directly on the device. The 360 suction mount makes it easier to adjust the camera angle and remove or reinstall the unit

Bottom line

Waymo’s January 2025 announcement was a plan to expand autonomous-driving tests to 10 or more new cities, starting with Las Vegas and San Diego. The initial work involved fewer than 10 vehicles per city and human-driven data collection—not an immediate Waymo One launch. Las Vegas and San Diego were later identified for planned commercial autonomous service in 2026, but that was a separate stage from the original 2025 testing program.

Special offer. See more information about Outbyte and uninstall instructions. Please review EULA and Privacy policy.

FAQ

Did Waymo launch driverless rides in Las Vegas and San Diego in 2025?

No. Waymo initially sent a small number of vehicles with trained human drivers to collect local data and evaluate the Waymo Driver. The January 2025 announcement did not promise public autonomous passenger rides.

How many cities did Waymo plan to test in during 2025?

Waymo said it planned to test in 10 or more new cities. The company named Las Vegas and San Diego as the first two but did not publish the complete list with the announcement.

How many Waymo vehicles were expected in each new city?

Waymo said it would initially send fewer than 10 vehicles to each city. The fleet was intended for limited testing and local data collection, rather than immediate commercial service.

When was commercial Waymo service planned for Las Vegas and San Diego?

In November 2025, Waymo announced plans for commercial autonomous ride-hailing in Las Vegas beginning in summer 2026 and said it planned to begin serving San Diego in 2026, subject to permits and other deployment requirements.

Special offer. See more information about Outbyte and uninstall instructions. Please review EULA and Privacy policy.

The Bottom Line

Waymo’s 2025 plan was a testing expansion, not a citywide robotaxi launch. Las Vegas and San Diego were the first named locations, with small, initially human-driven fleets used to collect data. Commercial autonomous service was discussed later for 2026.

Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.

More from the Garage

  1. Entry001Date09 OCT 26Time3 minWhich Brake Pad Should You Buy From RockAuto or Elsewhere?Section: Blog
  2. Entry002Date09 OCT 26Time5 minThe Pros and Cons of Touchless Car Wash SystemsSection: Blog
  3. Entry003Date09 OCT 26Time3 minCan a Trickle Charger or Battery Tender Properly Charge a Car Battery?Section: Blog

Thanks for visiting Carcody

Carcody.com is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.co

Recommended PC Tool
Recommended PC Tool
Outdated Drivers Are Slowing You DownFree scan - exact matches
Windows Errors? Fix Them Before They SpreadFree repair scan

Two free Windows tools

One Free Minute Could Fix That PC

Before you go - each of these free tools takes about a minute and tackles what quietly slows a Windows PC down.

Special offer. View Outbyte info, uninstall instructions, EULA, and Privacy Policy.