Waymo's self-driving taxis take on Seattle's rain and Denver's snow

The self-driving technology company owned by Google's parent, Alphabet, is moving into new territory. Waymo announced it is about to start operations in Denver and Seattle this week, sending its fleet of electric taxis into some of the most difficult weather conditions in the United States. This will be a major test for the company's technology as it continues its aggressive expansion across the country.

The vehicles arriving in two new cities are the familiar Jaguar I-Pace, an all-electric SUV, and the company's new purpose-built robotaxi, an electric van made by Zeekr. For now, however, residents won't see these EVs driving themselves. Waymo is starting with a manual phase, where human drivers will be behind the wheel to map the streets and gather data on local traffic patterns, road conditions, and, most importantly, the weather.

We’re heading North – the Pacific Northwest to be exact! Today, we’re returning to Washington State as we lay the groundwork to launch our autonomous ride-hail service in the Seattle metropolitan area. Learn more: https://t.co/3J8gKvbW7Y pic.twitter.com/ONNWr9jgCu

— Waymo (@Waymo) September 2, 2025

The company hopes to begin offering public driverless rides in Denver sometime next year. For Seattle, the timeline is less certain, with Waymo stating it will launch as soon as it gets the necessary permits.

The choice of Denver and Seattle is no accident. After years of perfecting its technology in sunny, predictable places like Phoenix, Arizona, Waymo is ready for a tougher exam. The company wants to prove its system can handle the heavy rain, wind, and even snow that these cities are known for.

Mastering such conditions is an important step if autonomous vehicles are ever to become a common sight nationwide. Waymo did a short-term test in the Seattle area back in 2022 specifically to study rainy weather, but this new deployment is a long-term commitment to the region.

The expansion to the Pacific Northwest is part of a much larger plan for Waymo. The company said it wants to bring its autonomous electric cars to ten new cities during 2025. Denver and Seattle join a rapidly growing list of active and planned service areas. Waymo already operates a commercial robotaxi service in Phoenix, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Austin, and Atlanta.

The company also has firm plans to launch in Dallas, Miami, and Washington, D.C., next year. Its nationwide fleet has grown to over 2,000 electric cars, with 800 in the San Francisco Bay Area, 500 in Los Angeles, 400 in Phoenix, and 100 in Austin.

Waymo obviously wants to get going, but the path forward in the Pacific Northwest isn't entirely smooth. Lawmakers in Washington have been cautious about self-driving cars, taking their time to create rules around safety. For its part, the Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT) has been preparing for years, developing permitting programs and safety plans.

In a statement, SDOT said it supports innovation but is taking a "smart, safety-first approach." Waymo plans to initially operate in several Seattle neighborhoods, including the International District, Central District, Queen Anne, and the University District, as well as the nearby cities of Bellevue and Kirkland.

Seattle has seen other autonomous vehicle companies come and go. Amazon's self-driving subsidiary, Zoox, started testing there in 2021. General Motors' Cruise also arrived in 2023 to learn from the city's hilly and wet environment. The lesson didn't seem to stick. Cruise later shut down its local engineering center, and GM exited the robotaxi business entirely in late 2024.

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