Waymo Launches Fully Driverless Robotaxi Rides for San Francisco Employees
Waymo kicks off employee-only driverless rides across a wide swath of San Francisco using a state testing permit. The move intensifies the competitive battle against rival Cruise in the city.
Waymo provides its San Francisco employees with fully driverless robotaxi rides as part of an expanded testing program. The company operates these vehicles without human safety operators across a large territory that stretches from the Presidio to Candlestick Point. This initiative relies on a driverless testing permit from the California Department of Motor Vehicles rather than a full commercial deployment permit.
The expansion intensifies the ongoing competition between Waymo and Cruise in San Francisco. While Cruise already holds a driverless deployment permit for public rides, Waymo currently limits its autonomous vehicles to its own workforce. Waymo also charges for rides with human operators in the Bay Area and runs a free public testing program, but it keeps its plans for a fully driverless commercial service under wraps.
In addition to its San Francisco developments, Waymo expands its established robotaxi service in Phoenix, Arizona. After reaching 500,000 autonomous miles in the East Valley, the company extends its geographic reach into downtown Phoenix. Waymo follows its standard rollout process by initially staffing these downtown trips with autonomous specialists before opening them to the general public.