Waymo Approved for Driverless Rides Across 18 CA Counties

The world's largest robotaxi expansion just got the green light in California.

Waymo won approval from the California Public Utilities Commission to charge passengers for completely driverless rides across 18 counties, stretching from Sonoma wine country all the way down to San Diego. The company can now operate its electric robotaxis on highways, city streets, rural roads, and even in rain and fog across most of the Golden State.

This isn't a small step. Waymo's service area already covers more square miles than Rhode Island, with a fleet of 3,000 vehicles that have completed over 20 million trips. The company is aiming for 1 million rides per week by the end of this year.

The approval took nearly seven months of regulatory review. Waymo filed its application in January, faced a suspension through September, and submitted additional safety protocols in May covering everything from unaccompanied minors to handling power outages. That grinding review process just cleared.

Now Waymo can operate in major new markets including Sacramento and San Diego, plus the entire Bay Area and Los Angeles region. The company says deployment will be gradual and safety focused, meaning depots, charging stations, and detailed mapping must happen before rides begin in each area.

The Bright Side

While speed matters in the tech world, Waymo is choosing patient progress over rushed expansion. The company already has nearly 1,000 new all-electric Ojai robotaxis waiting in Arizona, ready to deploy as infrastructure comes online in each county.

This matters for more than just convenient rides. Every Waymo vehicle runs purely on electricity, cutting emissions in communities that desperately need cleaner air. As the fleet grows across California's most populated regions, thousands of gas-powered trips will shift to electric power daily.

The contrast with competitors is striking. Tesla operates what it calls a "robotaxi" service in the same Bay Area, but California regulators confirmed it requires a human driver and holds the same permit as a limousine company. No autonomous vehicle safety reporting required.

Meanwhile, one Reddit commenter from San Diego noted Waymo vehicles have become noticeably more common in their neighborhood three miles east of downtown, adapting responsibly to local traffic patterns with pedestrians and cyclists.

Approval isn't the same as deployment, but it's the crucial first step toward driverless electric rides becoming normal across California's biggest cities.