Waymo launching robotaxi service in Denver. But only for its own workers.

As Waymo’s driverless vehicles scoot closer to offering Denverites a ride without a human driver, the company said Wednesday that its next phase is beginning: rides for its employees.

And no, they’re not hiring in Denver, and Waymo won’t say how many employees it has here. 

But the employee-only trips are the precursor to “opening the service to the public,” which is expected to happen “soon,” Waymo spokesperson Sandy Karp said in an email. 

Asked for more specifics, Karp replied with “later this year.”

At least the company is tossing us a bone: “Because an iconic city deserves an equally iconic fleet, Denver riders will be among the first to experience the Ojai,” she said. That’s the minivan-like robotaxi built by Chinese automaker Geely. According to a TechCrunch story, the Ojai’s base is Geely’s all-electric Zeekr vehicle, but its software and some hardware is all Waymo. The two announced a partnership in late 2021.

Alphabet-owned Waymo is one of a number of autonomous vehicle companies already giving rides to humans. It seems to be the only one that has publicly announced its intent to start service in Colorado. Tesla began offering test rides in its robotaxis last summer and offers service in limited areas of Miami, Austin, Dallas and Houston, according to the company. Zoox, which Amazon acquired for $1.3 billion in 2020, is driving around Las Vegas and San Francisco, with Austin and Miami coming soon. 

While driverless vehicles are not without safety challenges, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, which requires driverless vehicle operators to document crashes, found that automated driving systems have averaged about 120 total per month in the first four months this year, compared to a monthly average of 85 last year. There were three reported in Colorado, according to NHTSA data.

Waymo estimates that as of March, its vehicles have driven 220.6 million miles without a human driver and reduced crashes by up to 94% compared with human-driven cars in the cities where it operates. 

Waymo’s autonomous Jaguar I-PACE vehicle parked outside the Populus hotel in Denver on Sept. 16, 2025, as part of the company’s debut in Colorado. (Tamara Chuang, The Colorado Sun)

Waymo selected Denver last fall to be one of its next launch cities. It was already offering rides to the public in Atlanta, Austin, Los Angeles, Phoenix and San Francisco. Denver was picked for its cold-weather places, along with New York and Washington, D.C. The new Ojai has sixth-generation Waymo technology and was designed for snowier conditions.

But so far, service for non-Waymo employees is not available in any of those cities. In early September, the company mentioned there is a long timeline of testing with humans in the driver’s seat before Denverites could try out the ride-hailing service. 

“This new phase follows several months spent in Denver preparing for fully autonomous operations, including familiarizing the Waymo driver with the city, establishing local teams to support our service, and working closely with community members to understand their transportation needs,” she said.

Waymo service in Denver is limited to select neighborhoods, including RiNo, Baker and Cherry Creek. The company hopes to serve Denver International Airport in the future. 

Along with the Denver announcement of employee rides, Waymo officials said Las Vegas, San Diego and Tampa are slated for employee service to begin soon.