Alphabet's Waymo said on Wednesday that it would begin offering robotaxi rides that use freeways across San Francisco, Los Angeles and Phoenix, a first for the Google subsidiary as it steps up expansion amid global and domestic competition in the self-driving industry. Freeway rides will initially be available to early-access users, Waymo said. "When a freeway route is meaningfully faster, they can be matched with a freeway trip, providing quicker, smoother, and more efficient rides," it said. The race begins to make the world's best self-driving cars Waymo, which already operates in parts of the San Francisco Bay Area, is also extending operations to San Jose, including Mineta San Jose international airport, the second airport in its service area after Phoenix Sky Harbor. The move comes as Tesla expands its robotaxi service with safety monitors and drivers, and Zoox - backed by Amazon - offers free robotaxi rides on and around the Las Vegas Strip.

Get ready to have that Will Smith song stuck in your head for the rest of the day because the autonomous taxi company Waymo is going to Miami. Waymo announced its plans to Miami on its official Waypoint blog. The expansion will start early next year as the company gets its fleet of self-driving Jaguar I-PACE EVs familiar with Miami's streets and intersections. Then in 2026, Waymo plans to start offering rides to customers through the Waymo One app. Waymo is also partnering with the African startup Moove as part of its expansion plans.