Waymo plans to grow its robotaxi fleet from about 4,000 cars today to 8,000 by the end of 2026 and 20,000 by the end of 2027, according to people familiar with the matter cited by Semafor. The company declined to comment on the reporting.
The expansion is backed by Waymo's first debt raise: a $5 billion loan from private credit lenders, made without guarantees from parent Alphabet. The deal also lets Waymo borrow more in future by securitizing vehicle leases.
Waymo operates in 15 US cities and is expanding to Toronto. It recently opened a Nashville facility with Lyft to charge, clean and maintain cars, and has reportedly ordered thousands of vehicles from China, including rebranded Zeekr models. Waymo says the funds are meant to grow internationally and in the US.