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Waymo Secures $5 Billion Loan to Rapidly Scale Robotaxi Fleet

The funding will finance a fast push to multiply vehicles and launch services overseas while trade rules and local approvals shape how quickly it grows.

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A Waymo Ojai robotaxi in Las Vegas. The electric Ojais, which have joined Waymo’s fleet in San Antonio, have elevator-like doors and room for four passengers and luggage. 
A Waymo Ojai robotaxi in Las Vegas. The electric Ojais are made by Chinese automaker Zeekr and go through final assembly at Waymo’s factor in Mesa, Ariz.
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Overview

  • Waymo confirmed on Tuesday that it will start operations in the Madrid region in 2027 and will begin by driving Jaguar I‑Pace cars manually for supervised validation under Spain’s DGT testing framework.
  • The company announced a $5 billion debt facility earlier this month that it says will accelerate expansion of its fully autonomous ride‑hailing service across the United States and internationally.
  • Waymo is reported to target a fleet increase from roughly 4,000 vehicles today to about 8,000 by the end of 2026 and roughly 20,000 by the end of 2027 to support rapid city rollouts.
  • To reach that scale Waymo is importing large numbers of Zeekr‑built Ojai vehicle shells from China and completing installations of its U.S. driving hardware and software at a Mesa, Arizona facility while navigating tariffs and Commerce Department rules.
  • Operational growth is already changing service on the ground—San Antonio was opened to all app users after a restart—and the expansion will require more charging and maintenance depots, teleoperators and local partnerships even as lawmakers press for tighter limits on China‑made vehicle parts.