Waymo & Cruise Approved for Robotaxi Service in San Francisco

Autonomous Vehicle Services Approved for Commercial Operation in California

The California Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) has authorized both Cruise, backed by General Motors, and Waymo, a subsidiary of Alphabet, to begin charging for their autonomous vehicle (AV) services provided to the public.

Deployment Permits Granted

Cruise has been issued a “driverless deployment permit,” enabling the company to collect payment for services rendered without a human safety operator present in the vehicle.

Waymo received a “drivered deployment permit,” which permits charging for AV operation while a driver remains in the front seat. Currently, both companies are able to theoretically monetize autonomous delivery services, but full commercial robotaxi operation requires further approval.

Further Approvals Needed for Robotaxis

The final step towards offering paid robotaxi services necessitates a permit from the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC). Neither Waymo nor Cruise has yet provided a projected timeline for launching commercial ride-hailing services in San Francisco.

Nuro Pioneered Driverless Delivery

Cruise and Waymo will not be the sole entities capitalizing on their AV technology within California. In December 2020, Nuro, an autonomous delivery startup, became the first company to secure a permit from the California DMV to operate a commercial driverless service on public roads throughout the state.

Extensive Testing Preceded Commercial Approval

Both Cruise and Waymo have been conducting AV testing on public roads with safety drivers since 2015 and 2014, respectively. Driverless testing commenced in October 2020 for Cruise and October 2018 for Waymo.

Prior to this, Cruise was granted permission to offer driverless rides to passengers in California in June, providing free transportation to its employees for several months. Similarly, Waymo initiated its Trusted Tester program in August, allowing San Francisco residents to experience autonomous, electric Jaguar I-Pace vehicles with a safety driver onboard, also at no cost.

Operational Restrictions and Capabilities

Cruise’s recent authorization allows commercial operation of its fleet of autonomous Chevy Bolt-based vehicles on designated San Francisco surface streets between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m., with a maximum speed of 30 miles per hour.

Waymo is permitted to deploy its fleet of light-duty AVs within specific areas of San Francisco and San Mateo counties, operating on public roads at speeds of up to 65 miles per hour without apparent time restrictions. Both companies are authorized to operate in conditions of rain and light fog.

Future Plans Remain Undisclosed

Both Cruise and Waymo have refrained from commenting on their plans for launching a commercial service in the Bay Area or initiating an autonomous delivery service.

In November of last year, Cruise and Walmart collaborated in Scottsdale, Arizona, to provide goods delivery services with a safety operator present. Waymo Via’s local delivery service has been active in Phoenix, Arizona since January 2020, utilizing a trained operator and serving clients such as UPS and AutoNation.