Robotaxi pioneer Waymo has added Dallas to its expanding list of cities where people will be able to request a driverless ride beginning sometime next year in attempt to further distance itself from rivals still scrambling to catch up in the autonomous race.

Waymo has announced plans to launch its robotaxis in Dallas in 2026, extending its outreach in the US states as electric vehicle maker Tesla strives to establish its recently-rolled out

Waymo robotaxi testing is already underway in downtown Dallas involving the company's Jaguar I-PACE electric vehicles with the Waymo Driver system. That combines automated driving software, sensors and other hardware that power the vehicles' "level 4," driverless operations.