- Waymo began fully driverless operation in downtown Detroit on October 6, 2026, with no one in the front seat (WXYZ).
- Only Waymo employees can ride for now.
- Waymo has not given a public launch date.
- Detroit is Waymo’s 11th city, per WXYZ.
Where it’s running and what’s on the road
Waymo has run in Metro Detroit since November 2025, according to The Detroit News, first with human monitors on board. The new phase removes them. Testing covers downtown and nearby neighborhoods including Corktown, Midtown, Hamtramck and Indian Village. Waymo spokesperson Chris Bonelli told The Detroit News the company is working to open its doors to public riders “in the future.”
The fleet mixes the Zeekr Ojai van, which carries Waymo’s sixth-generation driver, with white Jaguar I-PACE cars on the fifth-generation system. The Detroit News reports the Ojai has braille and screen-reader compatibility and a seat-integrated accessibility handle, and that the sixth-generation system helps the vehicle handle wintry conditions. Waymo has not published winter performance data for Detroit.
Who’s involved locally
Waymo lists community partners in Michigan, including the Urban League of Detroit and Southeastern Michigan, the Epilepsy Foundation of Michigan and Mothers Against Drunk Driving Michigan. Urban League president N. Charles Anderson rode a Waymo in Nashville this summer. WXYZ reports he said the safety compared with other transportation stood out to him, especially for women, because riders do not have to worry about a driver’s conduct. That is one partner’s impression, not a measured result.
Ryan Michael, who leads business innovation for the City of Detroit, said Michigan regulates Waymo’s deployment. He said the city’s mobility office has met regularly with Waymo and has worked to prepare police and fire departments. He also said the city has its own automated driving pilot for senior and disabled residents.
Why It Matters to You
If you live in or around downtown Detroit, you’ll start seeing empty-seat Waymos on your streets now, but you can’t hail one yet because rides are employees only. For future riders, the Ojai’s accessibility features could matter, though that depends on a public launch Waymo hasn’t scheduled.
What we don’t know yet
- Waymo reports 95% fewer crashes with serious or worse injuries than human drivers, over 271.3 million rider-only miles through June 2026. The benchmark is human crash rates on surface streets in Phoenix, San Francisco, Los Angeles and Austin, from police-reported records. Waymo published this figure, and it excludes freeways and Detroit.
- Waymo has no Detroit crash data yet. Snow, ice and local driving habits may change results.
- Analyst Sam Abuelsamid of Telemetry expects limited service by the end of 2026 and a public app opening in early 2027, depending on how smoothly things go and on state permitting. Waymo itself has given no public timeline.
- Abuelsamid estimates the Ojai costs about $60,000 to $70,000 and the Jaguar $140,000 to $150,000. These are one analyst’s estimates, not Waymo figures.
- Reaction is mixed. WXYZ quotes downtown residents who are enthusiastic, and at least one who said he was nervous.
Quick answers
Can the public ride a Waymo in Detroit now?
No. Rides are limited to Waymo employees. Waymo says it will publish a service-area map before opening to the public.
When will public rides start?
Waymo has not said. Abuelsamid expects limited service by late 2026 and wider access in early 2027, but that is his estimate.
Who regulates Waymo in Michigan?
Detroit officials told WXYZ the deployment is regulated by the State of Michigan, with the city coordinating on public safety and mobility.
Sources
- WXYZ Detroit: Driverless cars hit the streets of downtown Detroit as Waymo begins its fully autonomous phase (Oct 6, 2026)
- GovTech (The Detroit News): In Detroit, Waymo Rolls Out Fully Autonomous Vehicle Testing (Oct 7, 2026)
- Waymo: Safety Impact data hub (accessed Oct 13, 2026; data through June 2026)