Waymo Expands Robotaxi Service in Silicon Valley
Waymo has received approval from the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) to broaden its commercial robotaxi service area in Silicon Valley. This expansion allows Waymo, an Alphabet company, to offer its driverless ride-hailing service to more communities south of San Francisco.
While the CPUC approval represents a significant step, Waymo stated that its current operational plans will remain unchanged in the near term. The company already provides commercial robotaxi service throughout San Francisco and parts of the Peninsula. Waymo also offers driverless rides to paying customers in several Silicon Valley cities, including parts of Mountain View, Palo Alto, Los Altos, and Sunnyvale. The current service area encompasses approximately 85 square miles across San Francisco and Silicon Valley.
We’re very excited to share that the CPUC has approved our application to operate our fully autonomous commercial ride-hailing service in the South Bay and nearly all of San Jose! While this won’t change our operations in the near-term, we’re looking forward to bringing the…
— Waymo (@Waymo)
Waymo's long-term goals include accessing San Francisco International Airport (SFO). The company received a temporary permit in March to map roadways at SFO. Currently, Waymo employees manually drive vehicles to map the area. Autonomous operation at SFO is not yet permitted, but the mapping permit suggests future commercial operations are planned.
Waymo currently provides 250,000 paid trips per week across its operational areas. These areas include Los Angeles, Phoenix, Austin, and other locations.
- Waymo operates in:
This expansion marks a significant milestone for Waymo and the autonomous vehicle industry.
