Alphabet’s Waymo announced on Tuesday that its autonomous ride-hailing service, Waymo One, is now available to everyone in San Francisco, nearly four years after a similar rollout in Phoenix, Arizona.
Waymo’s driverless vehicles are anticipated to drive commercial success for automakers, despite ongoing regulatory scrutiny and investor concerns about the substantial investments in this emerging technology.
See also: Waymo’s Robotaxi Service Hits Milestone of 50,000 Weekly Trips
Waymo initially launched a test service in San Francisco in 2021 with its research-focused program, which included an autonomous specialist on board for all rides as the company sought to commercialize the technology.
We’re excited to announce that Waymo One is now open to SF riders — no more waitlist or invite codes! This is a key milestone in our mission to be the world’s most trusted driver, & we're thrilled to get more of you where you’re going safely. Ride today. https://t.co/qDv35gD3MI pic.twitter.com/xpU9Zx9bMy
— Waymo (@Waymo) June 25, 2024
“The strong demand for our service is evident, with about 300,000 people signing up to ride with Waymo since we first opened a waitlist in San Francisco,” Waymo said in a statement. Now, with open access, anyone can request a ride through its app.
Waymo had previously opened access to everyone in Phoenix, Arizona without a waitlist in 2020.
See also: Waymo Expands Driverless Testing to Seven New Bay Area Cities
Based in Mountain View, California, Waymo is a pioneer in self-driving technology. It launched its first U.S. driverless taxi service in 2020, more than a decade after it began as a project within Google in 2009.
In March, the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) granted approval for Waymo One to operate in Los Angeles and several cities near San Francisco.
Waymo’s rivals, including General Motors-backed Cruise and Amazon.com’s Zoox, are accelerating efforts to succeed in the autonomous vehicle market amid ongoing probes by auto regulators into the performance of self-driving cars.
