Waymo gets green light for expansion within California

Waymo has received the largest expansion approval to date for its robotaxi service from California’s regulatory body, the CPUC. The company’s operating area now spans 18 counties—from Sonoma in the north to San Diego in the south.

The California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) has granted Waymo permission to operate its robotaxis in areas such as San Diego and Sacramento, as well as in municipalities within Marin, Napa, Orange, and Riverside counties. According to the “LA Times,” this Alphabet-owned company can more than triple its operating area in the regions around Los Angeles and San Francisco with this new approval. Waymo submitted the expansion request in January.

Specifically, the approved operating areas now extend from Santa Clarita and Thousand Oaks down to San Diego in Southern California, as well as from Sacramento to San Jose in Northern California. Waymo plans to integrate these new areas gradually. The driverless services are set to be launched “step by step and with a focus on safety.” In addition to the Jaguar I-Pace, the new sixth-generation vehicles named Ojai are also approved for use.

As is known, Waymo developed the electric van Ojai in collaboration with Chinese manufacturer Zeekr. Zeekr now handles the manufacturing of the chassis and body, while Waymo installs its sensors, computers, and software. The Ojais complement Waymo’s fleet, which as of May consisted of around 3,000 Jaguar I-Pace electric vehicles.