Waymo Doubles Down in Austin Alphabet’s autonomous driving arm, Waymo, just announced a major expansion in Austin, Texas—growing its service area from 37 to 90 square miles. That’s not just a geographic leap; it’s a strategic one. The move puts Waymo in direct competition with Tesla and other AV players in the region, extending coverage to neighborhoods like Crestview, Windsor Park, Sunset Valley, and Franklin Park. With over 100 vehicles already operating via Uber in Austin and a national fleet of 1,500+ cars, Waymo is quietly becoming the backbone of autonomous ride-hailing in the U.S. It’s not just a moonshot anymore—it’s a business. Alphabet’s Broader Bet on AI Mobility Waymo’s expansion isn’t happening in a vacuum. Alphabet has been steadily investing in AI-driven infrastructure—from its Gemini language models to Google Cloud’s AI tools. The company’s push into autonomous mobility is part of a larger strategy to diversify beyond advertising and search. And it’s working. Alphabet reported $88.3 billion in Q3 2024 revenue, with record cloud earnings and growing traction in AI services. Waymo’s growth adds another layer to Alphabet’s long-term vision: a future where mobility, data, and commerce converge. Alphabet Stock Split Analysis Now, let’s shift gears and talk stock. The alphabet stock split history is short but impactful. The company has split its shares three times, most recently with a 20-for-1 split in July 2022, bringing the price down from over $2,250 to around $1123. Why It Mattered Accessibility: The split made Alphabet shares more affordable for retail investors. Liquidity Boost: Trading volume increased post-split, improving market participation. Sentiment Shift: Shares jumped 7% the day after the split announcement. Since then, Alphabet stock has climbed over 40%, recently crossing the $200 mark on a split-adjusted basis. That’s a strong signal that the split did its job—and then some. Will Alphabet Split Again? Unlikely in the short term. At ~$200 per share, the price isn’t prohibitively high, and Alphabet’s fundamentals remain solid. But if shares surge past $300 or $400, another split could be back on the table—especially if retail demand spikes. Final Thoughts: Alphabet’s Road Ahead Waymo’s expansion is more than a local headline—it’s a reflection of Alphabet’s evolving identity. From search engine to AI powerhouse to autonomous mobility leader, the company is steering into new territory. And while the alphabet stock split helped pave the way for broader investor access, it’s the company’s innovation engine that’s keeping the wheels turning. Whether you're riding in a Waymo or riding the stock, Alphabet’s journey is one worth watching.
Why bother. Will it double within some months, possibly a year from today? I do not think so. For retailers there are faster horses. Alphabet is for the big institutions to store their money in. GO
Waymo is inherently limited by its operational system. It does a reasonably good job in limited zones that can slowly be expanded provided they are always up to date with their mapping system. On the other hand, Tesla's system is significantly more complex but it isn't limited to designated areas in the US. Once they reach a 99.99% accuracy, they will dominate full self driving. The question on everyone's lips is, when? Musk's prognostication is notoriously over ambitious but Tesla has the vehicles, the compute power and the tech to get there. I believe 5 years from now Tesla will be able to operate in most US cities based on results in Austin, San Francisco and Phoenix, all already or upcoming Robotaxis cities of operation. Of course this doesn't necessarily mean the end of Waymo but simply competition in specific cities, provided Tesla doesn't significantly undercut Waymo rates. Right, Waymo will cease operations within 10 years.
Those waymo cars are nearly 200K each. And the first thing the LA rioters did was summon 5 of them to the riot and then burned them. Feels like a headwind at the moment.