Inside Waymo’s Expansion: Thousands of Cars, New Depots, and What’s Next

A couple of months ago, Waymo content creator JJRicks uploaded a video showcasing a factory he discovered, capturing close-up ground-level footage of the site. This factory turned out to be an assembly plant from Magna, where Waymos are constructed.

Previously, there was some concern that Waymo might run out of Jaguar I-Pace vehicles for its fifth-generation driverless platform after Jaguar officially ended production in December 2024. Whether Waymo managed to secure the remaining inventory is still unclear.

After JJRicks’ discovery, we got our hands on exclusive night-time drone footage from an anonymous source, giving us another look at this massive fleet of cars. Now, we’re taking it a step further, with clear daytime footage that shows more of the facility.

If you pause the footage and count, you can spot over a thousand cars parked outside, with even more that are still under construction inside the building. Our source indicates that this facility has been receiving deliveries for the past few months, with trucks frequently seen transporting vehicles to the site.

Once these cars are finished, they will likely be shipped to the multiple cities where Waymo operates. This, of course, raises new questions: Where will Waymo charge and service all these cars?

As the fleet continues to expand, securing space to manage these operations will become a challenge. In a city like Los Angeles, where real estate is notoriously limited, large-scale plots of land are hard to come by. For a more in-depth look at this issue, read Kevin Chen's article.

Waymo recently opened up a new depot in Inglewood with Terawatt, right between LAX and Sofi Stadium, and shortly after expanded the service area to Inglewood. However, pickup and drop-off locations at major venues are still limited. Hopefully, Waymo is working on partnering with these venues for better access points.

The same goes for LAX—while Waymo hasn’t started service to the airport yet, they are in talks. According to an article from Santa Monica Daily Press, Waymo Los Angeles City Policy Manager Adam Lane stated that:

“Waymo has been in contact with LAX officials about potentially serving trips to and from the airport.” Lane also noted that after completing over 200,000 trips to and from Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport, he is “confident” the company can soon expand to LAX as well.

In Santa Monica, another small depot quietly opened—or did it? This one is located close to a residential area, and it has not gone unnoticed. There have been reports of residents complaining about the cars constantly coming and going, creating noise disturbances late at night.

Of course, these are valid concerns—but there's also the thought that these complaints could stem simply from the fact that this is a new and unfamiliar technology to many. Finding good locations won't be easy. Maybe going underground is the solution?

Soon enough, Waymo will expand its fleet beyond the Jaguar I-Pace, adding its new sixth-generation vehicles. One of the most anticipated additions is the custom-built Zeekr vehicle, which has no steering wheel, and has already been spotted testing. Waymo also recently announced a partnership with Hyundai, with plans to integrate its driverless technology into the electric Ioniq 5.

With thousands of new Waymos hopefully hitting the roads, more depots popping up, and the recent launch of service in Austin through its Uber partnership—along with Atlanta and Miami on the horizon—one big question remains: Where will all these Waymos go next? 

Waymo should continue using its fantastic app alongside Uber for new cities, rather than phasing out the app like it did in Austin. Riders have not been happy about that decision.

In terms of location, I'd personally love to see them in New York City!