Regulator
California's utilities regulator (CPUC) voted to let Waymo charge fares for fully driverless rides at any time of day in San Francisco.
A regulator's decision · Sets Waymo's stage
What the source says
“to charge fares for fully driverless rides any time of the day in San Francisco”
What it means
Waymo, from Waymo (Alphabet), is at stage 5 of 5 on our ladder: regulator-cleared or mass market. This event is one of the milestones that placed it there.
Human help: People working remotely can steer it or take over.
More on Waymo
- Waymo and Toyota said they would start testing self-driving Toyota bZ4X electric cars in Japan in 2027, then plan to expand to the UK and other right-hand drive markets.
- Waymo said it was adding nearly 250 square miles of driverless service area over the next week across Los Angeles, Nashville, Orlando, San Diego and the San Francisco Bay Area.
- Waymo restarted its service in San Antonio, about five months after the flood pause.
- Waymo opened its service to the public in Las Vegas, its 15th market, after Nevada's Transportation Authority allowed up to 1,000 of its robotaxis there.
- Waymo opened its service in Denver, San Diego and Tampa, inviting riders a few at a time. That made 14 US cities.
- Teslarati reported that Waymo's fully driverless service in Houston, with nobody in the driver's seat, had been open to the public since August 2026.