Waymo is expanding its autonomous vehicle operations with a new U.S. production facility in partnership with Canadian parts supplier Magna International. The plant, located in Mesa, Arizona, will assemble fully autonomous Jaguar I-Pace and Zeekr RT vehicles equipped with Waymo’s self-driving technology.
Autonomous Vehicle Expansion Anchored in Arizona
The Mesa plant represents a multimillion-dollar investment by Waymo and has already created hundreds of jobs. Described as the “epicenter of future growth” by Ryan McNamara, Waymo’s Vice President of Operations, the facility will play a critical role in scaling Waymo One, the company’s autonomous ride-hailing service.
Waymo One currently operates in San Francisco, Phoenix, Los Angeles, and Austin, delivering more than 250,000 paid rides per week. The company completed over 4 million paid rides in 2024 and plans to expand into Atlanta, Miami, and Washington, D.C. by 2026.
Production Plans: Jaguar and Zeekr Models
The new facility will manufacture more than 2,000 autonomous Jaguar I-Pace vehicles through 2025. Waymo will also begin integrating its driverless technology into the Zeekr RT, a new vehicle platform from Chinese EV brand Zeekr, starting later this year.
Magna, which previously built the Jaguar I-Pace at its Steyr plant in Austria from 2018 until production ended in December 2024, is once again joining forces with Waymo for advanced vehicle integration. The I-Pace sedan served as a key platform for Waymo’s first electric autonomous fleet.
Waymo’s Steady Climb in a Shifting Industry
Waymo, originally launched in 2009 as a Google project, has taken a cautious but consistent approach in the volatile autonomous vehicle space. Its steady progress contrasts with other AV startups that have folded due to high costs, slow regulatory approvals, and technical challenges.
By combining expertise in advanced manufacturing with global suppliers like Magna, Waymo aims to accelerate deployment of its next-generation vehicles and solidify its lead in the U.S. robotaxi market.
What’s Next for Waymo
The Mesa plant signals that Waymo is positioning itself for long-term dominance in autonomous mobility. With market expansion plans underway and strategic integration of both Western and Chinese EV platforms, the company is preparing to serve broader geographic and consumer segments over the next several years.
For now, the U.S.-based facility is the centerpiece of Waymo’s evolving manufacturing and deployment model — one designed to deliver safer, scalable, and more efficient urban mobility without a driver behind the wheel.
