Waymo expands its robotaxi service to everyone in Los Angeles, signifying its biggest growth yet.

• Starting Tuesday, anyone in LA will be able to use the Waymo One app to hail a self-driving robotaxi throughout nearly 80 square miles of Los Angeles County, Waymo announced.
• The company's ride-hailing service also operates citywide in Phoenix and San Francisco.
• Thanks to additional funding, Waymo has been expanding its operations rapidly over the past year.

Waymo, which is owned by Alphabet, has removed the waitlist for its self-driving service in Los Angeles, signaling its largest expansion to date.

Starting Tuesday, Waymo One app users in LA will be able to hail a self-driving robotaxi throughout nearly 80 square miles of Los Angeles County, including the 300,000 Angelenos on Waymo's waitlist.

The company's robotaxi service is now fully available in Los Angeles, the third and largest city where it is offered. This follows the launch of Waymo One in San Francisco in June 2021, and its introduction in Phoenix in 2020.

"Tekedra Mawakana, co-CEO of Waymo, stated in a news release on Tuesday that Los Angeles is an exciting time to welcome everyone to the ride. The company's service has matured quickly, and riders are embracing the many benefits of fully autonomous driving. Waymo is grateful to its first riders in LA and eager to serve more riders soon."

Due to extra funding, the company has rapidly expanded its operations over the past year.

In October, Waymo secured $5.6 billion in funding to expand its robotaxi service across the U.S. The autonomous vehicle venture, owned by Google parent Alphabet, received the series C investment from Alphabet, as well as earlier backers including Andreessen Horowitz, Fidelity, Perry Creek, Silver Lake, Tiger Global, and T. Rowe Price.

The robotaxi company has experienced a 50% increase in the number of paid rides per week via the Waymo One app, with over 150,000 rides across its three markets, as announced on Tuesday. This is an increase from the 100,000 rides recorded in August.

Waymo has announced a partnership with Uber to launch its robotaxi service in Austin, Texas, in 2025. The next-generation robotaxi from Waymo is a Geely Zeekr equipped with custom sensors and an AI "driver." Additionally, Waymo has recently agreed to a multiyear strategic partnership with Hyundai, which will add the South Korean automaker's Ioniq 5 electric vehicle to its robotaxi fleet.

Some women with safety concerns about riding with unknown human drivers have adopted the Waymo One service, while parents have utilized it to send their teens to school.

Waymo is set to intensify its rivalry after securing a $5.6 billion funding round.