“California has given autonomous ride-hailing one of its biggest regulatory green lights yet, and the immediate winner may be consumers rather than the companies building the cars.

On August 14, the California Public Utilities Commission approved Waymo’s updated passenger safety plan, clearing the company to expand paid driverless service across a much larger area in Northern and Southern California. The footprint reaches 18 counties, including new markets around Sacramento and San Diego, while expanding territory around San Francisco and Los Angeles.

That does not mean a Waymo will appear on every approved street tomorrow. The company says expansion will be gradual. But the decision moves robotaxis from city-sized experiments toward a regional transportation network.”

From FOX8.