Source: Waymo
Audio By Carbonatix
For the last few weeks, funky white sedans with a spinning cone-shaped adornment on top have been riding around Big D. Those who have ventured to Austin or Los Angeles or Phoenix in the last few months recognize the cars as Waymos, autonomous driverless cars covered in high-tech cameras and lasers, hopefully assuring proper navigation and rider safety. Of course, our Waymos have drivers behind the wheel, at least for now, until Dallas becomes the next launch site for the Jetson-like cars that drive themselves.
In July, Waymo announced Dallas was on the map for their driverless cars, and in early 2026, the fully autonomous version will fully hit the streets.
“We look forward to bringing our fully autonomous ride-hailing service to the people of Dallas next year, offering a new era of safe and seamless transportation,” said Tekedra Mawakana, co-CEO of Waymo, in a July press release.
To start, Waymo will offer fully autonomous trips to its employees. Then testing will begin downtown, including even the areas surrounding Dallas Love Field Airport.
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“We are excited that Waymo is coming to Dallas,” said City Manager Kimberly Bizor Tolbert. “Together, Dallas and Waymo will prioritize safety, while providing new and innovative transportation choices for our community.”
Driverless cars have a proven safety record and report significantly fewer collisions involving injuries than human drivers.
For the most part, Waymos are not allowed on freeways, except in parts of Arizona and California, where the company has the most experience and longevity. So if you were envisioning making the rush-hour traffic on the DNT a Waymo problem, think again.
Other cities welcoming the self-piloted cars on their roads in 2026 are Houston, Miami, San Antonio and Orlando.
Waymo will now operate in the state’s four largest cities, surpassing Austin-based Tesla’s competitor product, Robotaxi. The Tesla Robotaxi is also reportedly en route to Dallas, but is still in the initial stages of permitting for a fully driverless fleet in any city.
While Waymo is the industry leader for driverless hailed cars, it does not leave them without flaws. In Austin, where Waymo’s fleet size is about 100, the city has fielded dozens of complaints about Waymo vehicles stalling, crashing and speeding, according to a report from FOX7. Viral TikToks have showcased riders getting trapped in the back of stalled Waymos, hailing a car with vomit in the backseat and stuck behind a line of firmly speed limit-complicit cars while in a rush.
Roadway safety for all Texans is quite simply one of the most important issues today,” said Michael Daley, the Texas regional executive director for Mothers Against Drunk Driving. “Autonomous vehicles hold the exciting promise of preventing deaths and injuries caused by behavioral factors, including impaired driving, which contribute to the overwhelming majority of serious and fatal crashes in the U.S.”
So the first time you see a car with no driver, don’t get spooked. In fact, maybe breathe a sigh of relief that there isn’t someone from Dallas behind the wheel with a place to be and a curveless road ahead of them.
