- The California Public Utilities Commission approved Waymo’s Passenger Safety Plan on Monday, clearing the way for expanded service.
- San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan was an early backer of Waymo's proposal.
- The state’s DMV is considering new rules for self-driving vehicles.
Alphabet's Waymo unit has received approval to expand its autonomous ride-hailing service to more parts of the San Francisco Bay Area, including San Jose.
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WATCH HEREIn March, the company submitted a request to the California Public Utilities Commission to gain approval for its latest passenger safety plan, a key step in gaining permission to operate driverless vehicles across a broader area. On Monday, the proposed expansion was approved, allowing for Waymo's driverless coverage to extend from San Francisco down through the Peninsula.
"We're very excited to share that the CPUC has approved our application to operate our fully autonomous commercial ride-hailing service in the South Bay and nearly all of San Jose!" the company wrote in a post on X on Monday. "While this won't change our operations in the near-term, we're looking forward to bringing the benefits of Waymo One to more of the Bay Area in the future."
San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan was an early backer of the proposal, posting that "Waymo embodies our region's spirit of innovation — so it's about time they joined us here in the Capital of Silicon Valley."
As Waymo continues to expand, the California Department of Motor Vehicles is considering new rules for testing and deployment of self-driving vehicles.
Money Report
In April, Alphabet reported that Waymo is now delivering more than 250,000 paid robotaxi rides per week in the U.S. That month, Waymo and Toyota announced a preliminary partnership to explore bringing robotaxi tech to personally-owned vehicles.
WATCH: Waymo is a bright spot in the Google story, says Truist's Youssef Squali
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