‘Barron’s Roundtable’ panelists discuss the growth of autonomous ridesharing and what Waymo’s success means for the industry. Waymo announced Friday that it is expanding its autonomous transportation business in Northern and Southern California, including two major new markets. The Alphabet-owned company said it plans to expand its existing services in the San Francisco Bay Area and Los Angeles while bringing its robotaxi service to Sacramento and San Diego. The announcement comes after the California Department of Motor Vehicles authorized Waymo to operate in additional areas last year. On Friday, the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) approved the company’s request to expand its autonomous transportation service. “Big news for the Golden State: We have received approval from the CPUC to expand our autonomous shuttle service throughout the San Francisco Bay Area and Los Angeles, and bring our service to Sacramento and San Diego,” Waymo said in a post on including bringing robotaxis to Sacramento and San Diego. (Armando L. Sanchez/Chicago Tribune/Tribune News Service via Getty Images/Getty Images) The company did not provide a timeline for launching the service in the new areas, but said the expansion would be “gradual and guided by our security framework.” Waymo called the regulatory approval an important step in its expansion in California. “This is an important milestone that will allow Waymo to bring the safety and mobility benefits that millions of Californians already enjoy to more communities across the state,” the company said in a news release. The company currently operates thousands of autonomous vehicles across the US, including San Francisco, Los Angeles, Phoenix and Austin. ZOOX CEO SAYS AUTONOMOUS VEHICLES NEED REGULATION MONTHS AFTER ROBOTAXI ENTER THE SCENE OF THE LAS VEGAS FIRE A Waymo autonomous vehicle drives along Masonic Avenue on April 11, 2022 in San Francisco, California. (Justin Sullivan/Getty Images/Getty Images) In February, Waymo announced plans to expand into Chicago as it looks to establish a foothold in the Midwest. The company said it had begun “laying the groundwork” for operations in Chicago, starting with manual vehicle mapping and testing. Waymo has also faced several recalls this year. Most recently, the company recalled nearly 4,000 robotaxis in June after more than a dozen incidents in which autonomous vehicles entered closed highway construction zones, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). GET FOX BUSINESS ON THE GO BY CLICKING HERE A Waymo autonomous Jaguar I-PACE SUV waits at an intersection in San Francisco, March 18, 2025. (Smith Collection/Gado/Getty Images/Getty Images) NHTSA said a software issue could allow affected vehicles to enter closed highway construction zones and continue traveling at posted speeds. Regulators said vehicles may not recognize or respond properly to certain construction zone closures. FOX Business has reached out to Waymo for additional information, including when the expanded California services are expected to launch. FOX Business’ Bradford Betz and Brittany Miller contributed to this report.
