Waymo Launches Fully Driverless Ride-Hailing Service in San Francisco
Waymo officially begins operating fully autonomous vehicles on San Francisco streets, though initially only for employee passengers. The move makes Waymo the second robotaxi company to offer driverless rides in the city.
Waymo officially launches fully driverless rides in San Francisco, marking a major milestone for the company. Although Waymo previously secures permission to operate without a safety driver across large parts of the city, the vehicles now actually hit the streets with empty front seats. For the initial rollout phase, these autonomous trips remain exclusive to Waymo employees.
The Alphabet subsidiary is not the first to offer driverless cab services in the city, as competitor Cruise already provides similar rides to the general public. However, Waymo brings significant experience to the table, having operated a successful driverless robotaxi service in Phoenix, Arizona since late 2020. The company recently celebrates a major achievement by surpassing 500,000 fully autonomous miles driven in that region.
San Francisco residents are now spotting these sleek Jaguar I-PACE vehicles navigating the complex urban environment entirely on their own. A newly released video shows a Waymo engineer taking one of these initial trips to a local coffee shop, demonstrating the smooth and unassisted operation of the technology. As the testing phase progresses with employees, the public eagerly anticipates the eventual opening of these robotaxi rides to everyday passengers.