Waymo has announced the official launch of its fully autonomous ride-hailing services for the general public in Los Angeles, starting from March 14th. The company also revealed plans to expand its services to Austin, Texas, later this year.
After conducting testing of its Level 4 autonomous ride-hailing service in Los Angeles since late 2022, Waymo is now ready to offer its services to the public. Level 4 autonomy means that the vehicle can operate without human input but is limited to specific conditions, such as a predefined service area.
Waymo has spent recent months conducting its “Waymo Tour,” offering free rides to residents in various neighborhoods. The service area will encompass regions from Santa Monica to downtown LA, operating 24/7 within the designated coverage area.
Covering approximately 63 square miles, the LA service area includes Santa Monica, Century City, K-Town, Downtown, parts of West Hollywood, Beverly Hills, and Culver City. Waymo has expressed its intention to expand its coverage over time but has not provided a specific timeline for this expansion.
Initially, Waymo plans to offer its services for free, but it will transition to a paid model in the coming weeks, following approval from the California Public Utilities Commission. Waymo began its “tour” in LA months ago to comply with CPUC requirements for transitioning to paid services.
In Austin, Texas, Waymo has already started testing autonomous rides, but these are currently limited to Waymo employees. The coverage area in Austin is 43 square miles, and Waymo anticipates launching its ride-hailing services for the general public in the city later this year.
