Waymo plans to launch a robotaxi service next year in Dallas. Waymo is partnering with Avis Budget Group to manage its fleet of all-electric autonomous Jaguar I-Pace vehicles. Avis will handle general depot operations, including charging and maintaining the vehicles. Users will be able to hail a robotaxi through the Waymo app. Avis is the first rental car company to help Waymo manage its fleet. And it’s a partnership that will likely extend to other cities in the future. Avis will play a large in role helping the company scale its technology to new markets faster and more cost-effectively. Waymo and Avis Budget Group intend to expand to more cities together over time. Waymo took one of its “road trips” to Dallas, where the company used its sensor-laden vehicles to map the city and conduct initial testing. Waymo has started testing its autonomous vehicles on public roads with a human safety operator behind the wheel. As it has in every other city it has launched in, Waymo will progress to fully autonomous testing once its tech has been further validated on Dallas streets. Avis Budget Group CEO Brian Choi said the partnership marks a “pivotal milestone in its evolution, from a rental car company to a provider of fleet management, infrastructure and operations to the broader mobility ecosystem.”