California regulators just gave Waymo permission to expand its driverless robotaxi service to highways in Los Angeles and the Bay Area at speeds up to 65 mph. The approval brushes aside objections from local transport agencies over recent safety scares, though Waymo says it has no immediate plans to send cars onto the highway right away.
Uber just rolled out Waymo driverless vehicles to passengers in Metro Phoenix. Riders booking UberX or Uber Comfort can now get matched with a fully autonomous Waymo vehicle without needing a separate app. The launch comes right as competitor Cruise suffers a permit suspension, giving Waymo a massive distribution boost.
Cruise just hit another roadblock in San Francisco after one of its driverless robotaxis collided with an active fire truck late Thursday, sending an injured passenger to the hospital. Cruise claims the car entered the intersection on a green light, though the fire department was responding to an emergency call. Why it matters: The crash comes less than a week after regulators approved 24/7 paid robotaxi rides across the city, escalating a brewing feud with local emergency officials.
