Waymo expands robotaxi coverage in Los Angeles and San Francisco

Waymo, the self-driving car company owned by Alphabet, is adding another 10 square miles to its robotaxi service area to include cities surrounding San Francisco.

The move, which includes Daly City, Broadmoor and Colma, brings its total commercial service territory to about 55 square miles. Waymo said Tuesday it will also add 16 square miles of new robotaxi service area in Los Angeles, including Marina del Rey, Mar Vista, Playa Vista and more in Hollywood, Chinatown and Westwood.

Waymo has been working to add more territory and reach more customers in an attempt to scale up its business operations and eventually become profitable, though that goal is still out of reach. The ever-expanding service territories have helped Waymo reach several other milestones. The company said it has provided more than two million paid rides to passengers across Waymo One markets, which include Los Angeles, San Francisco and Phoenix. The company said its fleet of commercial vehicles services more than 50,000 paid rides each week in those same markets.

While these operations generate revenue, Waymo’s operations continue to be supported by its backers. Its parent company, Alphabet, has been the main source of capital and recently announced it will invest another $5 billion in Waymo.

This latest expansion comes several months after receiving approval from the California Public Utilities Commission to operate a commercial robotaxi service in Los Angeles, the San Francisco Peninsula and San Francisco freeways. Waymo has been testing its self-driving vehicles on the greater San Francisco Peninsula.

Waymo has operated 24/7 commercial service throughout the city of San Francisco since receiving commission approval in August 2023. The CPUC approved Waymo’s application to expand commercial operations into new territory in March 2024. Waymo does not provide detailed information about its global fleet. However, a spokesperson told TechCrunch that there are currently about 300 vehicles in San Francisco, 50 in Los Angeles, and 200 in Phoenix. The company also has a limited fleet that is conducting testing in Austin. Other Waymo vehicles are still being used for testing in Mountain View, California, and periodically in other areas.

Waymo said demand has surged in Los Angeles, with more than 150,000 people signed up for the waitlist. Waymo eliminated the waitlist for San Francisco riders in June.