Gulf Coast Investigation: Miami’s Waymo robotaxis hint at what’s next for SW Florida

MIAMI —

For decades, self-driving cars have been part of people’s imagination, featured in movies like 1968’s “The Love Bug” and the David Hasselhoff-led television series “Knight Rider.”

Now, imagine no more. Driverless cars are here.

Gulf Coast News took a trip to Miami to catch a ride in a Waymo, an autonomous taxi service driving in parts of Miami, Orlando, and other large U.S. cities.

GULF COAST NEWS TRIES OUT A WAYMO

After downloading the app, I had to make sure we were within range of the area that Waymo serviced. I ordered a ride and chose our destination, LoanDepot Park. I was given three drop-off spots to pick from.

It took just two minutes for the driverless cab to show up. Rather than stop in a busy street, the Waymo pulled into a nearby Walgreens parking lot.

The taxi, a fully electric Jaguar, does not look like an ordinary car.

Waymo's use radar, lidar and a lot of cameras – 29 on each car, the company says – to help it navigate.

The app indicated we had five minutes to get in, or the car would take off and we’d be charged a cancellation fee.

I pressed a button in the app to unlock it, and the handle opened.

Once inside, I slid a button on the phone app – and we were off.

A short video message played in the console, but it was hard not to stare at the steering wheel instead.

Once the message ended, the screen showed the map. We could see the Waymo knows about all the cars around us and even had them outlined.

Admittedly, we took an easy path: 2.2 miles and mostly straight. We also didn’t take any highways, though Waymo will go on them in Miami.

There was no tailgating or red-light running, and only abrupt stops if another driver prompted them. The Waymo felt like a cautious driver.

In no time, we arrived at our destination. Once we got out, the Waymo just took off.

WAYMO VS. UBER: COMPARING DRIVE TIME AND COSTS

For comparison’s sake, we took Uber back to the Walgreens.

Waymo got to us quickly, in just two minutes. It took six minutes for the Uber driver.

Waymo did cost more. It was $16.95 for the ride. Uber was about half that.

The drive itself was 15 minutes in the Waymo. Our Uber made better time, getting back in 11 minutes.

WHEN COULD WAYMO GET TO FLORIDA’S GULF COAST?

The big question, of course: when could Waymo get to Florida’s Gulf Coast?

"I don't think it's that far in the future — but it's not right away,” Don Scott said.

Scott is the executive director of the Lee County Metropolitan Planning Organization, which does transportation planning for the county.

They first looked at self-driving cars in traffic modeling nearly 10 years ago.

“I think in some respects, the thought was that it was going to grow a little faster than it did,” Scott said.

Gulf Coast News reached out to Waymo. A spokesman says Tampa will be their next city in Florida, not Fort Myers or Naples.

“No timeframe to share for other cities in Florida,” the spokesman wrote in part in an email. “But we know Florida has potential for future expansion.”

Some other states have yet to even green-light self-driving cars.

“If you look at where regulatory framework is in place that the businesses like, Florida is one of those,” Scott said.

OTHER COMPANIES ALSO MAKE DRIVERLESS CARS

Waymo isn’t the only company on the road. In December, Scott said they saw unusual cars in Fort Myers and were told the company was mapping streets for autonomous vehicles.

Just days ago, a viewer shared video with Gulf Coast News that appeared to show two Robotaxis, Tesla's version of the self-driving cab, which currently serve parts of Texas.

Gulf Coast News reached out to Tesla but hasn’t yet heard back.

“As part of their process, too, they map. That's part of the whole thing,” Scott said. “They kind of geofence an area, and they do a demonstration first, and then they get everybody from the public to use it."

WAYMO ROLLOUT NOT WITHOUT ISSUES, COMPLAINTS

The Waymo rollout hasn’t been without issues. In Orlando, people complained that cars would park in their neighborhood for hours a day.

A viral video from Phoenix, Arizona, showed a Waymo stopped on tracks just before an oncoming light rail. The passenger had to run out.

The company has defended its track record, writing, "The Waymo Driver has been involved in 92% fewer crashes that cause serious or fatal injuries than human drivers in the same conditions."

“I mean, I drive enough around here and see the way people drive,” Scott said. “I don't think it can be any worse."

SURVEY PROVES SKEPTICISM REMAINS OVER SELF-DRIVING CARS

While Scott would hop in a Waymo, a recent survey shows he’s in the minority.

A 2025 survey from AAA showed 61% of people said they were afraid of self-driving cars. 26% said they were unsure, and just 13% trust them.

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