Waymo Launches Fully Driverless Robotaxi Rides for San Francisco Employees
Waymo kicks off employee-only, fully autonomous rides across a wide swath of San Francisco using its current testing permit. The move intensifies the competitive battle against Cruise in the Bay Area.
Waymo provides fully autonomous rides to its San Francisco employees as it expands its testing footprint across the city. The service area stretches from the Presidio to Candlestick Point, allowing staff to hail driverless Jaguar I-PACE vehicles without a human safety operator behind the wheel.
This employee-only program operates under a driverless testing permit from the California Department of Motor Vehicles, meaning Waymo does not yet offer a commercial service to the general public. The company keeps quiet about whether it applies for the required driverless deployment permit that would allow it to launch a public, paid service without safety drivers.
The expansion heats up the rivalry with Cruise, which already holds a driverless deployment permit and runs a public autonomous service in the city. Meanwhile, Waymo also extends its established commercial robotaxi operations in Phoenix by expanding from the East Valley into the downtown area.