So far full self-driving cars are limited to certain areas, like this Waymo car in San Francisco
A Waymo driverless taxi makes it way down a San Francisco street. The company said it will expand its robotaxi service to Miami. AFP

Waymo said Thursday that it will expand its self-driving taxi service to Miami.

The company said it will send its all-electric Jaguars to Miami early next year to get acquainted with the city's streets before offering rides in 2026 in partnership with fleet management service Moove.

The announcement comes a month after Waymo launched its robotaxi service in a 79-square-mile area of Los Angeles.

It said it is "honored" to provide the service, "which already provides over 150,000 trips per week across Phoenix, Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Austin – to the people of Miami."

"We are excited to partner with Moove in Phoenix and later Miami, bringing together their mobility-focused fleet management experience with our growing Waymo One service," Ryan McNamara, vice president of operations at Waymo, said.

"Together, we will provide safe, seamless trips for riders, and scale faster and more cost-effectively over time, with safety continuing to lead the way," he said.

The company says it had to overcome Florida's "challenging rainy conditions" to prepare for the anticipated launch.

Waymo, which recently raised $5.6 billion from parent company Alphabet and other investors, leads the robotaxi market that includes competitors like Amazon Zoox, Tesla's Cybercab and Cruise by General Motors.

"Fully autonomous driving technology offers a safe and convenient option to the people of Miami. I'm so pleased to welcome Waymo to our city," said Miami Mayor Francis X. Suarez. "Waymo's commitment to sustainability with their all-electric fleet is the perfect mobility option to our city as we continue to prioritize low cost, clean energy."

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