Cruise, Waymo Get Approval, but Won't Displace Human Drivers Soon


Autonomous Trucks

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California Public Utilities Commission issues approvals for Waymo and Cruise to operate robotaxis in San Francisco on a 24/7 basis, instead of overnight hours. The commission's vote can be viewed as one of the last major steps to robotaxi operations going mainstream, at least in the city of San Francisco. So far, only Waymo and Cruise have reached levels of commercial operations in San Francisco and are in the process of launching in several other cities. Cruise and Waymo, for their part, have offered training to first responders for instances in which robotaxis become stranded or block traffic. Waymo, meanwhile, expanded its operations to Los Angeles in late 2022 but has not launched 24/7 service on the level seen in much smaller downtown San Francisco.