Breaking new ground in autonomous transportation, Alphabet’s Waymo announced on Wednesday its launch of complimentary driverless robotaxi services for selected members of the public in Los Angeles, effective immediately. This move follows the recent approval from the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) to initiate Waymo One, its ride-hailing program, in Los Angeles and neighboring cities near San Francisco.
Surging ahead of its General Motors-owned competitor, Cruise, Waymo’s pioneering endeavor comes at a pivotal moment, with Cruise currently under scrutiny following an incident involving a pedestrian and one of its driverless vehicles.
Waymo’s ambitiously broad service area spans 63 square miles, extending from Santa Monica to downtown Los Angeles. Notably, the initial rides will be offered at no cost, with plans to seamlessly integrate more than 50,000 individuals from the L.A. waitlist into the service gradually, alongside distribution of temporary codes at local events across the city.
With a commitment to expansion, Waymo envisions scaling its operations in Los Angeles progressively, with a transition to paid services anticipated in the weeks ahead. Building on its successful autonomous services for employees in Austin, Waymo is poised to introduce Waymo One to the broader public in Austin later this year, adding another milestone to its roster of autonomous ride-hailing cities, which already includes San Francisco, Phoenix, and now, Los Angeles.