Waymo Expands Autonomous Ride-Hailing to San Francisco
Alphabet's Waymo brings its autonomous ride-hailing service to San Francisco through a new Trusted Tester program. Participants receive free rides in all-electric Jaguar I-Pace vehicles, though safety drivers remain behind the wheel.
Alphabet's Waymo expands its autonomous ride-hailing service beyond Phoenix by launching the Waymo One Trusted Tester program in San Francisco. This new initiative replaces the previous Early Rider program and allows interested city residents to hail fully electric Jaguar I-Pace vehicles for their everyday travel needs.
San Francisco presents a notoriously challenging environment for self-driving cars compared to the suburban streets of Phoenix. Navigating the dense city requires advanced capabilities, and Waymo believes that successfully mastering these complex urban streets will make future expansions to other locations much easier.
The program currently includes a safety driver behind the wheel who takes over when necessary, and participants use the Waymo One app to request rides. Rides remain free during this research-focused testing phase, though testers sign a non-disclosure agreement to limit early footage of the vehicle's performance.