Waymo expands its autonomous footprint again. The California DMV signs off on a primary approval that opens new territory across the state. Rider-only robotaxis move closer to everyday life for even more Californians. The scale of this expansion sets a new high-water mark for autonomous mobility in the U.S.
Waymo already operates in dense, high-traffic regions. Now it gains access to more of Northern California and the state capital. This raises pressure on rivals, especially Tesla, as both companies push toward wider commercial robotaxi services.
What’s Happening & Why This Matters
Waymo Gets Approval for a Huge Expansion
California’s DMV grants Waymo authority to test and deploy fully autonomous vehicles in most of the East Bay, the North Bay, and Sacramento. Waymo confirms the approval in a post showing updated coverage maps. The company states it is now “officially authorized to drive fully autonomously across more of the Golden State.”
Waymo already operates in San Francisco, Silicon Valley, and Los Angeles. The new geographic clearance covers a vast stretch of the state, though commercial service still needs a separate permit. The DMV lists approval for autonomous operation at all hours of the day and night. It also lists supported vehicles, including the Jaguar I-Pace (2021 and 2024 models) and Zeekr RT (2022 and 2025 models).
Commercial Service Still Needs Another Green Light
Waymo does not indicate when riders will get access in the new coverage areas. The next target is San Diego, with public rides expected mid-2026. The company is now allowed to offer highway routes in San Francisco, Phoenix, and Los Angeles, boosting speeds and improving trip reliability.
Waymo continues to scale service across the U.S. It plans to launch next year in Dallas, Houston, Orlando, Miami, and San Antonio. International tests continue in Tokyo and London, with U.S. pilots in New York City, Washington, DC, Denver, and Seattle.
Tesla Driving Up the Robotaxi Competition
Tesla pushes expansion at the same time. It already operates robotaxis inside geo-fenced areas of Austin and the San Francisco Bay Area. It recently secured approval for commercial service in Arizona and non-commercial tests in Nevada. This pits Tesla directly against Waymo as both companies chase leadership in autonomous mobility.
TF Summary: What’s Next
Waymo continues to position itself as the most mature autonomous mobility provider in the U.S. The latest approval unlocks a massive area, bringing rider-only trips closer to reality for millions of California residents. Tesla’s accelerating rollout adds competitive pressure and speeds up innovation across the entire sector.
MY FORECAST: Waymo uses this new approval to launch an aggressive expansion through 2025 and early 2026. Tesla counters with more commercial pilots. The next twelve months bring the most rapid progress in autonomous transport yet, as both companies race toward scale and wider rider adoption.
— Text-to-Speech (TTS) provided by gspeech