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Waymo has expanded the coverage of its One robotaxi service in Los Angeles and San Francisco, including in some iconic locations.
As of today, the driverless ride-hailing platform is available in the San Francisco Peninsula, covering Broadmoor, Colma, and Daly City. Waymo now serves about 55 square miles in the San Francisco Bay Area.
Starting tomorrow in Los Angeles, Waymo One coverage includes more of Hollywood, Chinatown, and Westwood as well as the areas of Marina del Rey, Mar Vista, and Playa Vista. That addresses 79 square miles of Los Angeles County, Waymo said.
The growing service areas come not long after Waymo began major pushes for public use in both regions. The Alphabet-owned brand started Los Angeles commercial service in March, and opened San Francisco service to everyone in June. This is on top of widened Phoenix access.
Waymo is effectively taking advantage of the problems affecting its main rival, GM’s Cruise. While the company is gradually returning cars to the streets following a pedestrian collision last fall, it’s still leaning on GM for financial support and just paused work on its dedicated Origin taxi to focus on a Bolt EV-based project. A larger coverage area could help Waymo corner the market before competitors gain much ground.
Self-driving taxis are still rare in the US and face numerous obstacles, including regulatory clearance and concerns over safety. While Waymo, Cruise, and others claim that autonomous vehicles are generally safer than human-driven models, there’s historically been less tolerance of collisions and traffic issues from these machines.
