Alphabet’s Waymo gets California nod for expansion in San Francisco Bay Area

Waymo is the only American company to execute non -synchronized Robotaxi services that transport passengers who pay [File]
| Photo credit: Reuters

Alphabet’s Autonomous Unit, Waymo, said Monday that he received a California approach to expand his Robotaxi operations in more areas of the San Francisco Peninsula and further south, including San José.

California Waymo’s permission occurs when Tesla prepares to launch a Robotaxi service paid in Austin, Texas, next month. CEO Elon Musk said the electric vehicle manufacturer will expand the service to California at the end of this year.

Waymo requested the authorization to expand its operations in March and received 23 responses in support and there were no protests from interested parties, said California Public Services Commission in a statement.

Waymo, however, said he would not expand services in the San Francisco Bay area immediately.

“We want to take Waymo one to the Bay area, and any expansion of the service will occur in time,” said a company spokesman. The spokesman did not provide any reason for that decision and said that “there were no imminent plans or schedule to share.”

Waymo is the only American firm in executing Robotaxi services without a plot that transport passengers who pay. The company has more than 1,500 vehicles on the road in San Francisco, Los Angeles, Phoenix and Austin, Texas, and has more than 250,000 trips per week.