Waymo is gradually expanding its borders in California
Waymo is continuing its slow and steady approach to the robotaxi business by gradually expanding its service area in the key cities of San Francisco and Los Angeles.
The company said that starting June 17th, it would begin accepting passengers further south along the San Francisco Peninsula in cities like Brisbane, South San Francisco, San Bruno, Millbrae, and Burlingame. In Silicon Valley, riders in Palo Alto and Menlo Park will now be able to hail of the Waymo's driverless vehicles.
And in Los Angeles, Waymo is launching June 18th in neighborhoods like Playa del Rey, Ladera Heights, Echo Park, Silver Lake, and the entirety of Sunset Boulevard. The company briefly shut down its service in Los Angeles earlier this month after anti-ICE protesters set several robotaxis on fire. 1/3 Waymo's service area in San Francisco… Image: Waymo
Waymo said that it was growing its borders in both cities by 80 square miles, bringing its total coverage area in California to 250 square miles. The company recently reported reaching the milestone of 10 million paid rides, and is now serving 250,000 rides each week in all four of its markets: SF, LA, Austin, and Phoenix. For those keeping track, Waymo got rid of the waitlist and went public in San Francisco in June 2024 and Los Angeles in November 2024.
Waymo operates its ridehail service in California exclusively through its app, Waymo One. In Austin and soon Atlanta, the company has opted to partner with Uber by making its vehicles only available through that company's app.
The service map expansion comes as the company is getting ready to more than double the size of its vehicle fleet. The Alphabet company said it currently has 1,500 Jaguar I-Pace SUVs operating across its four main markets, and it plans on adding 2,000 more vehicles into 2026, for a total fleet size of 3,500.
But Waymo is still moving slowly when it comes to highway driving and airport access — two crucial domains if the company wants to outmaneuver Uber and Lyft in the future. Waymo spokesperson Chris Bonelli said the company was still testing its vehicles with employees on the highways in San Francisco and Los Angeles, and is in active talks with both cities' airports about potential future service. Waymo has been conducting airport trips at Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport since late 2022, but it has yet to bring its driverless vehicles to either SFO or LAX. See More: Autonomous Cars
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