Waymo begins offering freeway robotaxi rides in San Francisco, LA, and Phoenix

Waymo robottaxis will now transport passengers on freeways in three major US cities, marking a major milestone for the driverless ride-hailing company.

The company said it will begin offering such trips in the San Francisco, Phoenix, and Los Angeles markets "when freeway travel is fast enough."

Waymo also announced an expansion into San Jose, California, where its robottaxis will now be able to pick up and drop off passengers at the airport.

Waymo robottaxis will now transport passengers on freeways in three major US cities, marking a major milestone for the driverless ride-hailing company.

Alphabet-owned Waymo said Wednesday that it will begin offering such trips in the San Francisco, Phoenix, and Los Angeles markets "when freeway travel is fast enough." The Google subsidiary will gradually expand freeway trips to more passengers and locations over time.

Although Waymo's driverless cars have previously transported passengers on smaller highways and minor roads, Wednesday's expansion marks the first time the company will charge passengers to travel on freeways with higher speed limits.

"Freeway driving is one of those things that's very easy to learn, but very difficult to master when we're talking about full autonomy, without a human driver as backup, and at scale," Waymo co-CEO Dmitry Dolgov said at a press conference prior to the announcement. "It took time to get it right."

The company said Waymo vehicles will generally operate within the maximum posted speed limit on freeways, which in many cases is 65 mph. However, a spokesperson confirmed that in exceptional circumstances, robot taxis may occasionally exceed the limit by a few miles for safety reasons.

Waymo said that freeway operations required expanded operational protocols, including coordination with safety officials from the California Highway Patrol and the Arizona Department of Public Safety. In anticipation of the freeway expansion, the company has also installed additional infrastructure necessary to charge its fleet of electric robot taxis.

Waymo Product Manager Jacopo Sannazaro explained that over the past year, Waymo has offered robot taxi freeway rides around San Francisco, Los Angeles, and Phoenix to select Alphabet employees in preparation for Wednesday's launch.

He further explained that the company has been testing on freeways for over a decade. In addition to testing on public roads and closed routes, Waymo also tests in simulations to determine how its vehicles will react to common and difficult-to-replicate events, such as colliding with each other on the freeway, a motorcycle breaking lane, or another car swerving.

CNBC took a freeway test ride with Waymo from YouTube's office in San Bruno, in the San Francisco Bay Area, to San Mateo and back. The ride went up and down the California 101 ramp without incident and without any interruptions.

Waymo's Continued Expansion

After launching its robotaxi service in Austin, Texas, San Francisco, Phoenix, and Los Angeles, Waymo has also announced plans to expand to Miami, San Diego, and Washington, D.C., in 2026. The company is also testing its vehicles in New York City and Tokyo and plans to launch ride-hailing services to the public in London next year.

Waymo also announced on Wednesday that it is expanding its service from the San Francisco Bay Area to San Jose. This includes round-trip rides to San Jose Mineta International Airport, which will be the company's second international airport destination. Plans for SJC Airport were first announced in September.

In 2023, Waymo will launch at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport, which has become its most popular destination in the Phoenix metropolitan service area.

The company expanded its service in March to include an additional 27 square miles of coverage in the area, including cities like Mountain View and Palo Alto. Following Wednesday's expansion, Waymo now serves approximately 260 square miles of Silicon Valley.

Waymo's potential rival, Tesla, also transports passengers to and from SJC. Customers can book rides through Tesla's "Robotaxi" app, but the name isn't exactly descriptive. Due to technical limitations and permit requirements in California, Tesla operates only a car service with human drivers, not a commercial robotaxi service like Waymo.