Waymo’s rapid 2026 rollout of commercial robotaxi service, reaching 15 U.S. cities by late September after public launches in Denver, San Diego, and Tampa, underpins trader consensus around the 12-15 city range. The company has added roughly a dozen markets since early 2025 through its standard sequence of mapping, employee testing, and gradual public access, supported by fleet growth to over 4,000 vehicles and California regulatory approval across 18 counties. With only three months left in the year, the methodical pace required for safety validation and permitting makes further large jumps unlikely, even as the firm targets one million weekly rides and prepares additional vehicles like the Ojai minivan.