Alphabet’s self-driving unit Waymo said Monday it received approval from California to expand its robotaxi operations to more areas on the San Francisco Peninsula and further south, including San Jose.
The approval comes as Tesla prepares to launch a paid robotaxi service in Austin, Texas, next month. Tesla CEO Elon Musk has said the service will expand to California later this year.
Waymo asked for permission to expand its service in March and received 23 supportive responses with no protests, the California Public Utilities Commission said.
However, Waymo said it will not expand its service in the San Francisco Bay Area immediately.
“We want to bring Waymo One to more of the Bay Area, and any expansion will happen methodically over time,” a company spokesperson said. The spokesperson did not give a timeline or reason for the delay.
Waymo is the only U.S. company operating uncrewed robotaxis with paying passengers. It has more than 1,500 vehicles running in San Francisco, Los Angeles, Phoenix, and Austin, providing over 250,000 rides a week.
Self-driving companies face increased scrutiny after a major 2023 crash in San Francisco involving a robotaxi from General Motors’ Cruise, which later paused operations.
Waymo is recalling over 1,200 vehicles to update software to reduce risks of collisions with roadside objects, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) said last week. The agency started investigating last year.
NHTSA is also probing Tesla’s full self-driving system after crashes in low visibility since October. The agency recently asked Tesla to provide information on its robotaxi plans to evaluate performance in poor weather.
