Waymo says California regulators have signed off on the biggest expansion of its robotaxi service yet, covering 18 counties from Sonoma down to San Diego.
The California Public Utilities Commission approval clears Waymo to charge for fully driverless rides across the whole Bay Area and Los Angeles, and to open two brand-new markets in Sacramento and San Diego.
Waymo announced the decision on X Friday afternoon: “Big news for the Golden State.” The company said the rollout “will be gradual and guided by our safety framework.”
What the CPUC actually approved
The approval runs through Waymo’s Advice Letter No. 4, filed with the CPUC back on January 28. Regulators suspended it through September 25 for further review, and Waymo filed a supplemental letter in May covering unaccompanied minors and rider procedures during service disruptions like the PG&E outage that hit San Francisco last December.
