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Waymo and Cruise are not two robotaxi services riders can choose between today. Waymo operates public, fully autonomous rides in selected U.S. areas; GM stopped funding Cruise robotaxi development in December 2024 and began winding down those operations in February 2025. This comparison therefore looks at Waymo’s current service alongside Cruise’s operating history and GM’s shift to personal-vehicle autonomy.
Are Waymo and Cruise both offering robotaxi rides today?
No. Waymo describes its service as public, fully autonomous ride-hailing. GM says it stopped funding Cruise robotaxi development and subsequently began winding down the robotaxi operation. Its ongoing technical work was combined with GM’s personal-vehicle autonomy effort. There is no current public Cruise robotaxi booking service established by the official sources cited here.
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That makes this a comparison of an operating ride service with a discontinued robotaxi operation—not a choice between two active apps or fleets.
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In December 2024, GM announced that it would stop funding Cruise robotaxi development, combine most GM and Cruise technical teams, and focus the work on personal vehicles. GM’s 2025 annual-report material says the acquisition was completed in February 2025 and that Cruise robotaxi operations began winding down that month. GM’s December 2024 announcement and its 2025 annual-report material describe the business change.
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Why Cruise’s 2023 suspension still matters
Cruise’s service had already faced a major setback in 2023. The Associated Press reported on California’s license action, regulators’ stated concerns, and Cruise’s voluntary pause. That episode provides context for the operation’s history, but GM’s later statements are the clearest account of what happened to the robotaxi business afterward. The Associated Press’ report on the 2023 pause covers the earlier suspension.
Where can you book a Waymo ride?
Waymo says it offers rides 24 hours a day, seven days a week, through its app in the areas it serves. In Austin and Atlanta, Waymo says Uber is the only booking channel. The availability of rides depends on the specific service area and neighborhood; a city’s name on a rollout announcement does not mean every resident has immediate access.
Rank #2
- Opening parts and rolling wheels
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- Skill level: intermediate
Waymo’s Help page announced on September 1, 2026 that riders were being welcomed gradually in Denver, Tampa, and San Diego. Treat those as phased rollouts, not a guarantee that rides are available to everyone in each metro. For the latest access details, check Waymo’s service-area page before planning a trip.
Waymo’s FAQ describes the service and app booking, while its Help page gives area-specific access details: Waymo FAQ and service areas.
Rank #3
- Authentic 1:24-1:27 scale model kit
- Die-cast metal body with plastic parts
- Working steering and opening doors
- No glue or paint needed
How do Waymo and Cruise compare?
| What to compare | Waymo | Cruise / GM |
|---|---|---|
| Rider service | Public, fully autonomous ride-hailing in selected areas; Waymo says it operates 24/7. | GM says Cruise robotaxi operations began winding down in February 2025; no current public booking service is established by the official sources cited here. |
| Booking | Waymo app in its service areas; Uber is the only channel in Austin and Atlanta, according to Waymo. | No current public Cruise robotaxi booking channel established. |
| Company focus | Operating and scaling the Waymo Driver service and fleet. | GM combined the technical work with its personal-vehicle autonomy and advanced driver-assistance effort. |
| Safety evidence | Waymo publishes company safety analyses with defined mileage, dates, and metros. | The available material concerns historical safety and regulatory events; it does not supply a matching current exposure dataset for a head-to-head comparison. |
What vehicles and technology does Waymo use?
Waymo’s FAQ lists Jaguar I-PACE electric vehicles and the Ojai, a vehicle built for autonomous ride-hailing. Those are vehicle models; they are distinct from the Waymo Driver, the hardware-and-software system that performs the driving task.
Waymo names lidar, cameras, radar, and AI compute among the Waymo Driver’s hardware. The FAQ does not establish that every city has the same fleet mix at every point in time. See Waymo’s FAQ for its current descriptions of the vehicles and system.
Rank #4
- DIY Building: The F1 car kit requires assembly, which is a fun and challenging science kit for children and adults. The process of building the car helps to develop creativity, fine motor skills, and hand-eye coordination. Good choice for children aged 9-16.
- STEM Education: The F1 car kit is designed to be an educational toy that promotes STEM education. By building and assembling the car, children can learn about basic engineering concepts and gain problem-solving skills.
- High-Quality Wood Material: The F1 car kit is made of high-quality wood, ensuring durability and longevity. The wood material provides an authentic and unique feel to the product and enhances the overall building experience.
- Remote Control: The F1 car kit comes with a remote control that allows users to control the car's movements, making it a fun and engaging toy for kids and adults alike. The remote control is easy to use, making it accessible to everyone.
- Racing Experience: Once the car is built, it can be raced against other remote control cars or driven around to showcase its speed and agility. The F1 car kit provides a realistic racing experience and is sure to impress both kids and adults.
What do the safety figures show—and what do they not show?
Waymo’s 2026 company analysis says it covered over 270 million fully autonomous miles through the end of June 2026 in Atlanta, Austin, Los Angeles, Phoenix, and San Francisco. Against human-driver benchmarks, Waymo reported an 82% reduction in injury-causing crashes and 95% fewer crashes involving serious injury or worse. These are Waymo’s own reported comparisons for the stated mileage, period, and metros; the cited source does not independently validate the claims. Waymo’s safety analysis provides the company’s figures and methodology.
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Those figures do not answer whether Waymo is safer than Cruise. They compare Waymo’s results with human-driver benchmarks, not with a matched Cruise dataset, and they are not a direct, independent Waymo-versus-Cruise trial. Cruise’s discontinued robotaxi operation also does not provide a current service exposure dataset for a like-for-like comparison.
Best Value
- Perfect Gift for Children: This STEM kit for 10-12 year olds is an ideal gift for birthdays or Christmas. It includes all the parts needed to assemble a remote control car (except batteries) and is suitable for children aged 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14 and up.
- Functional Perfection: The STEM toy car kit has a steering system that allows the front wheels to swing from side to side and is also self-centring. The kit comes with detailed step-by-step colour instructions and an assembly video.
- Interference-Free Racing: Multiple cars can be raced simultaneously without interference from one another. Kids can enjoy thrilling races with their friends and family, fostering healthy competition and social interactions.
- Stimulating Curiosity and Learning: This engaging and challenging toy for boys ages 10-14 encourages them to explore scientific concepts and learn about the car's steering system. This is a great STEM project for 10-14 year olds that is both educational and entertaining.
- Cultivate Creativity and Imagination: Assembling these toys for 9-14 year olds promotes hand-eye co-ordination and stimulates the imagination, making it a highly interactive activity that promotes physical and intellectual development.
Which service should a rider consider?
If you want to take a fully autonomous ride, check Waymo’s current service-area page and booking instructions for your exact location. Cruise is not a present-day alternative for booking a robotaxi ride. Its relevance to this comparison is its past public robotaxi operation and the technology work GM redirected toward personal vehicles. GM’s driver-assistance and autonomy work for personal cars is a different product from booking a driverless robotaxi.
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