Waymo wins California approval to expand across 18 counties

The California Public Utilities Commission approved an expansion of Waymo's robotaxi service on August 14, covering 18 counties spanning the Bay Area, Los Angeles and Southern California down to the Mexican border, plus first-time entries into Sacramento and San Diego. Waymo said the rollout will be gradual, with its immediate focus on preparing rider-only service in San Diego and continuing to validate its technology in Sacramento rather than an immediate launch across the full newly approved area.