Waymo officially rebranded from the 2009 Google Self-Driving Car Project in December 2016 as a standalone company that's now part of Google's Alphabet. It signaled its commitment to developing autonomous driving technology on a large scale. The project aimed to develop a vehicle that could navigate autonomously, leveraging advancements in artificial intelligence, machine learning, and sensor technology, including LiDAR, radar, and cameras, for a 360-degree view.

In 2015, Waymo made headlines by testing its self-driving cars on public roads, accumulating millions of miles driven in various conditions. By 2018, the company launched its first public ride-hailing service, Waymo One, in the Phoenix metropolitan area, allowing users to experience rides in fully autonomous vehicles.

As of 2025, Waymo is available to all in Los Angeles, Phoenix, and San Francisco, and has expanded to the Peninsula and South Bay. The service primarily utilizes the self-driving, all-electric Jaguar I-Pace…