Waymo has made its robotaxi services available to everyone in San Francisco, removing the final obstacle for customers eager to use the self-driving technology. This makes San Francisco the second city, after Phoenix, where Waymo offers its services to the general public.
The move follows the company’s government approval last August to operate paid driverless cars in the city and a period of servicing a waitlist.
Waymo’s Longstanding Presence in San Francisco
Waymo’s presence in San Francisco dates back to 2009, but it was only last year that the company could charge customers for rides across the city, operating 24/7 with its fleet of self-driving Jaguar I-Pace vehicles. Initially, nearly 300,000 people signed up for the service waitlist. As the waitlist dwindled to a few hundred, Waymo decided to eliminate it entirely, allowing anyone to hail a robotaxi via the app.
Following Cruise’s exit from California after a controversial incident, Waymo remains the only company offering autonomous commercial cars in the state.
Waymo’s cars have logged over 3.8 million driverless miles in San Francisco, and the company reports “tens of thousands of weekly trips.” The fleet has grown to approximately 300 cars, up from 250 in January, though there are no immediate plans for further expansion.
Waymo’s expansion strategy mirrors its approach in Phoenix, where the service began with Waymo One members in 2020 and expanded to all residents two years later. The company secured another key approval in March from the California Public Utilities Commission to operate commercial robotaxi services in Los Angeles, the San Francisco Peninsula, and on San Francisco freeways. However, Waymo has not yet expanded its driverless operations to these areas, although testing is ongoing.
How Popular Are Waymo’s Services?
According to Waymo, the service is popular, with a significant portion of trips in San Francisco related to medical appointments and connections to other forms of transit like BART or Muni. The company’s total fleet exceeds 700 robotaxis, operating in Phoenix, Los Angeles, and San Francisco, and testing in Silicon Valley and Austin, Texas.
Challenges Faced by Waymo
Despite the wider availability, Waymo has faced challenges. The company voluntarily recalled software for all 672 of its Jaguar I-Pace robotaxis after an incident where one collided with a telephone pole. This was preceded by another recall in February following an incident where two robotaxis collided with the same towed pickup truck. Waymo cited a “persistent orientation mismatch” between the towed vehicle and the towing vehicle as the cause.
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