Waymo is getting into the corporate travel business

Waymo’s ever-expanding robotaxi aspirations have spread to the corporate world.

The Alphabet-owned self-driving vehicle unit has launched “Waymo for Business,” a new service designed for companies to set up accounts so their employees can access robotaxis in cities like Los Angeles, Phoenix, and San Francisco.

Waymo announced Wednesday in a blog post it is inviting organizations to sign up for Waymo for Business. The new a service will let businesses subsidize their employees’ rides or purchase promo codes in bulk, which can be handed out to clients, customers, or workers. The Waymo for Business rides will cost the same as its regular service.

One of Waymo’s first customers is Carvana, the Phoenix-based online used car marketplace.

While riders already use Waymo’s robotaxis to commute to work, this is the company’s first coordinated coomercial effort to target corporations and other organizations. Waymo has said nearly one in six of its local riders in San Francisco, Los Angeles, and Phoenix rely on Waymo to commute to work or school.

Today, users open up the Waymo One app (or in some cities like Austin, the Uber app) to hail a ride. That process won’t change for employees whose companies have signed up for Waymo for Business. What does change is the control companies can exert over the service.

Through the Waymo for Business service, companies have access to a business portal that gives the organizations control over their ride programs. Corporate customers can dictate the geographic area their employees use the robotaxis, set pickup and drop-off locations and monitor ride activity and track their budget.

Waymo said it plans to bring its new business service to other cities like Washington DC and Miami, once it has launched commercial operations in those markets.

Waymo has ramped up operations over the past 18 months making it the dominant robotaxi service provider in the United States. The company has expanded its commercial service from Phoenix to Los Angeles, San Francisco, Austin, and Atlanta. More cities are slated for 2026.

But it’s also sought other means to attract customers beyond expanding its geographic footprint. Waymo has gained access to the Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport, the San Jose Mineta International Airport, and soon the San Francisco Airport, unlocking a critical service that directly competes with ride-hailing companies Uber and Lyft; it has also partnered with public transit services company Via, even opened its robotaxis to teens (with a parent’s account.)