No driver, no problem.
Driverless robotaxi rides are now just around the corner in San Diego. Waymo got the final green light from the state to begin offering rides in the region.
“We’ll take you across the city, our service area is going to be about 40 square miles to start,” said company spokesperson Sandy Karp.
She said they plan to expand that area over time.
KPBS spoke to her Thursday inside one of the company’s boxy, light blue Ojai vehicles around Balboa Park — without a driver operating.
Karp said Waymo recently got approval from the California Public Utilities Commission to bring their driverless cars to the San Diego public and expand operations in other parts of the state.
The company has been testing their vehicles in San Diego since 2025 with drivers. Now Waymo is ready to go fully driverless to the public with a couple dozen Waymo Ojai vehicles in the region.
Many are excited about what the new technology can offer, but others are concerned.
For those who already own electric cars and may have worries about charging, Karp said they’ve established their own infrastructure.
“We have a place that we can charge up our vehicles, clean them, and make sure they’re ready for riders. We prioritize using charging at those stations, but we also still have human specialists driving our car who might use charging infrastructure where they may want to take breaks too,” Karp said.
She wouldn't disclose where that charging depot was located in San Diego, or how many vehicles can be charged at that site.
The San Diego Metropolitan Transit System (MTS) board of directors previously voted to oppose the expansion of the technology, without local regulation or oversight. That opposition didn't change the outcome of Waymo coming to the city.
City councilmember Sean Elo-Rivera is chair of the MTS Taxicab Advisory Committee.
"This fight isn’t over. We’ll keep pushing to protect the thousands of families who make their living driving, to hold these corporations accountable when something goes wrong, and for the state to make this right by putting more power in the hands of the community," Elo-Rivera said in a written statement.
“It’s dire right now because of the financial situation, because of the lack of business, and now Waymo coming in — driverless car — it's going to be worse and worse,” said United Taxi Workers of San Diego executive director Mikaiil Hussein.
Hussein and others at United Taxi Workers of San Diego (UTWSD) said Waymo poses unfair competition.
“This is really a public issue; it's like we're just the most obvious visual of what AI can be, like with the robotaxi,” said UTWSD’s Peter Zschiesche. “But really it could be what happens when they show up at your workplace and replace what you're doing? What are you going to do?”
Karp said the public launch of Waymo in San Diego is planned to arrive before the end of summer.
So whether people agree with the new technology or not, the future is here now.
