It is official: you can now hail a car in Tampa with nobody in the driver’s seat. On October 14, Waymo opened its robotaxis to everyone in Tampa, San Diego and San Antonio. No waitlist, no invite code. Just an app, a pickup and a steering wheel that turns by itself.
At a glance
- What: Waymo robotaxis, fully driverless, nobody behind the wheel
- Where: now open to everyone in Tampa, San Diego and San Antonio
- Since: October 14, 2026, no invite code needed
- How: download the Waymo app and book, just like Uber
- The car: an all-electric Jaguar I-PACE covered in sensors and cameras
- Tampa area: about 50 square miles, from Westshore to East Tampa
Where it goes in Tampa
Waymo started driving riders in Tampa on September 1, but only for people who got off the waitlist. Now anyone can ride inside a roughly 50-square-mile zone that includes:
- Neighborhoods: downtown, Hyde Park, Westshore, Ybor City, Northwest Park, Temple Crest and East Tampa out to Highland Pines
- Hot spots: Water Street, the Channel District, Armature Works and the Florida Aquarium
- Game day: Raymond James Stadium, Amalie Arena and Steinbrenner Field
In San Antonio, Waymo also now drives to and from the airport. Waymo says hundreds of thousands of people have already ridden in these three cities.
Wait, Tampa has two robotaxis?
Yes. Tesla is also running its own Robotaxi service in Tampa, in a smaller zone around downtown, Ybor City and Tampa Heights. The two companies could not be more different:
| Waymo | Tesla Robotaxi | |
|---|---|---|
| How it sees | Cameras plus spinning laser sensors (lidar) and radar | Cameras only |
| Tampa zone | About 50 square miles, including South Tampa | Smaller, around downtown, Ybor and Tampa Heights |
| Style | Slow and careful: invite-only first, then open to all | Fast and loud: expansions often announced on X first |
| Big goal | 1 million paid rides a week by the end of 2026 | Grow its Cybercab fleet quickly |
Before your first ride
- Download the Waymo app and check that your pickup and drop-off are inside the service area.
- Buckle up. In the back seat there is a screen that shows you what the car sees and lets you contact support.
- Expect it to drive like your most careful friend. It follows the speed limit and does not run yellow lights.
- Leave nothing behind. There is no driver to notice your phone on the seat.
- There is no one in the car, but if it gets stuck, a remote Waymo helper can give it advice. They cannot steer it.
My take
Here is my honest reaction: the future is not coming. It is already here, and it is picking people up in Ybor City.
Growing up, self-driving cars were pure movie magic. Total Recall had the Johnny Cab with a creepy robot driver. Demolition Man and Timecop showed us futuristic cars cruising around on their own. Minority Report and I, Robot had sleek cars that drove themselves while the hero did something more interesting. And Blade Runner skipped the road completely and put the cars in the sky. Now I can open an app and get a ride in Tampa with an empty driver’s seat. That is a wild thing to watch unfold in real time.
And this is growing fast. Waymo went from a waitlist in Tampa to open-to-everyone in about six weeks, and it wants a million paid rides a week by the end of the year. Tesla is running its own robotaxis on the same streets. This is not a science experiment anymore. It is a race.
And honestly? I am down for the ride. Here is why:
- It does not text and drive. Or speed, or road rage, or drive tired at 2 a.m. That already beats a lot of people on I-275.
- It is all-electric. Zero gas, zero tailpipe.
- It gives people freedom. Seniors who no longer drive and people who cannot drive get a way to get around on their own.
- A safe ride home. After a night out in Ybor, a car with no driver to argue with sounds pretty good.
The things I will be watching: how it handles a classic Florida afternoon downpour, how it deals with tourists who do not know where they are going, and what happens to the Uber and Lyft drivers who have been doing this job for years.
My verdict: this is the start of something big, and Tampa gets a front-row seat. I am excited to see where it goes. And Tesla, if you are reading this: when you add the flying Roadster to the robotaxi lineup, put me down for the first ride over I-4 traffic. Driving is cool. Hopping over a traffic jam is cooler.
Your turn: would you take a ride with nobody behind the wheel? Tell me in the comments.
What to watch next
Waymo has not said when Tampa’s zone will grow or reach Tampa International Airport. With Tesla competing on the same streets, expect both to expand fast. We will update this post when they do.
Photo: Waymo. Sources: Waymo, CleanTechnica, FOX 13 Tampa Bay, Startup Fortune, San Francisco Chronicle.
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