Overview
- Waymo received formal approval from the California Public Utilities Commission on Friday, Aug. 14, 2026, to operate fully driverless, paid robotaxi rides across 18 counties covering the Bay Area, Los Angeles, Sacramento and San Diego.
- The permit covers Waymo’s Jaguar I‑Pace and new Ojai robotaxi running the company’s sixth‑generation Driver and allows operation on highways, city streets, parking lots and most weather conditions except widespread snow or ice.
- Waymo said it will roll out expansion gradually and focus first on preparing rider-only service in San Diego later this summer while continuing technician-led validation in Sacramento before wider launches.
- The company cites scale and safety data to justify expansion, saying its fleet has driven about 220 million autonomous miles with roughly 3,000 vehicles and over 20 million trips, but regulators and safety agencies have scrutinized incidents including a June recall over vehicles entering closed freeway construction zones.
- Wider deployment will hinge on tangible local work such as depots, charging, detailed mapping and remote support and is likely to intensify competition with other AV efforts while changing how Californians access on-demand rides.