Waymo receives green light for expansion across California

Waymo has received approval for the largest expansion of its robotaxi service to date from the California regulatory authority CPUC. The company's operating area now spans 18 districts - 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 San Diego and Sacramento, as well as in communities across the counties of Marin, Napa, Orange and Riverside. According to the LA Times, the Alphabet-owned company can now more than triple its operational area in the Los Angeles and San Francisco regions thanks to the new licence. Waymo submitted the expansion application in January.

The approved operational area now stretches from Santa Clarita and Thousand Oaks down to San Diego in Southern California, and from Sacramento to San Jose in Northern California. Waymo has announced plans to integrate the new areas gradually, with driverless rides set to be rolled out in a phased and safety-focused manner. In addition to the Jaguar I-Pace, the firm’s sixth-generation vehicles – named Ojai – are also approved for use.

The Ojai electric van was jointly developed by Waymo and the Chinese manufacturer Zeekr. Zeekr produces the chassis and body, while Waymo installs its sensors, computers and software. The Ojai vehicles will complement the Waymo fleet, which, as of May, consisted of around 3,000 battery-electric Jaguar I-Pace cars.