Waymo, the autonomous driving technology company, has announced its next phase of testing aimed at bringing its ride-hailing service to select areas of San Diego. After months of assessing San Diego roads with human safety drivers behind the wheel, the company’s light-blue all-electric Zeekr RT minivans will begin operating in fully autonomous mode — with no human at the controls — in a matter of weeks.
The announcement marks a significant step toward the commercial launch of Waymo’s robotaxi service in San Diego. During this testing phase, all rides will be available only to Waymo employees, with the company expecting to offer rides to the general public by the end of 2026. Customers will eventually be able to hail a Waymo robo-taxi 24/7 through a mobile app.
Waymo has been driving and collecting data in San Diego neighborhoods that include Pacific Beach, Normal Heights, La Playa in Point Loma, South Crest, and other areas within city limits, though not as far north as La Jolla. In recent months, the minivans have become an increasingly common sight in neighborhoods like Bankers Hill and Hillcrest, where residents have grown accustomed to seeing the vehicles navigate city streets with varying levels of autonomy.
The company also announced that San Diego is not alone in its expansion plans. Cities including Las Vegas, Denver, and Tampa will soon see fully autonomous driving mode as well. Waymo is already fully operational in 11 cities, including San Francisco, Los Angeles, and Dallas, with a network spanning more than 1,800 square miles.
But Waymo’s move into San Diego has not been without controversy. Critics have raised concerns about potential job losses, safety issues, and incidents involving robotaxis blocking first responders. The San Diego Metropolitan Transit System passed a resolution in January opposing the expansion of Waymo’s robo-taxis and calling for more local control over the deployment of autonomous vehicles. San Diego City Councilmember Sean Elo-Rivera, who also chairs the Taxi Advisory Committee, voiced concerns during an MTS board meeting earlier this year.
“Allowing autonomous passenger services without guardrails opens the door to expansion into trucking and delivery, threatening even more workers whose livelihoods depend on driving,” Elo-Rivera said. “Autonomous vehicles don’t just change how people move. They literally replace people.”
However, the regulatory authority over driverless vehicles in California rests with the state, not local governments. The California Public Utilities Commission and the California Department of Motor Vehicles grant the permits for driverless vehicle operations, limiting the ability of local municipalities to restrict or regulate the rollout.
Waymo defends its safety record, citing data showing that its vehicles were involved in 94 percent fewer crashes that caused serious or fatal injury compared to human drivers in the same areas. The company says it has been working with local organizations including the San Diego Seniors Community Foundation, the San Diego Center for the Blind, and Circulate San Diego to inform the public about the new technology. Waymo has also scheduled trainings with first responders, including the San Diego Police Department, California Highway Patrol, and San Diego Fire-Rescue.
San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria has expressed support for the company’s plans, framing the expansion as part of the city’s embrace of innovation. “By welcoming innovative and promising technologies like Waymo’s autonomous vehicle service, we’re exploring how to make transportation more accessible, more sustainable, and more connected for everyone in our community,” Gloria said in November.
The mayor’s support comes despite recent high-profile incidents involving Waymo vehicles in other cities. On Independence Day in San Francisco, at least a dozen Waymo vehicles stalled on streets after a fireworks display from the Golden Gate Bridge, creating a traffic jam. NBC News reported that some vehicles needed to be towed, and one vehicle drove over a lighted firework while carrying passengers. Waymo attributed the incident to “extreme traffic congestion” that disrupted normal operations.
As San Diego prepares for the arrival of driverless ride-hailing, the city finds itself at the intersection of technological innovation and public concern. The coming months of employee-only testing will serve as a critical proving ground for Waymo’s technology on San Diego’s streets, and public reception will likely shape the trajectory of autonomous transportation in the region for years to come.
The expansion of autonomous vehicle services in San Diego also raises broader questions about the future of urban transportation. If Waymo’s service proves successful, it could complement existing transit options by providing first-mile and last-mile connections to trolley stations and bus stops, potentially increasing transit ridership. However, if robotaxi services primarily draw riders away from public transit rather than from private car ownership, the impact on congestion and emissions could be more complex.
The labor concerns raised by Elo-Rivera and other critics reflect a tension that cities across the country are grappling with as autonomous vehicle technology advances. The taxi and ride-hail workforce in San Diego, like in many cities, is heavily composed of immigrant workers and others for whom driving represents one of the few accessible employment opportunities. The potential displacement of these workers by autonomous vehicles raises questions about workforce transition, retraining, and the social safety net that have yet to be meaningfully addressed at the local or state level.
At the same time, Waymo’s expansion highlights San Diego’s growing reputation as a testing ground for innovative transportation technologies. The city’s varied terrain — from dense urban neighborhoods to coastal roads and freeway corridors — provides a challenging environment that can help validate autonomous driving systems in diverse conditions. The company’s collaboration with local organizations, including training sessions with first responders, suggests an awareness that community acceptance will be critical to the service’s long-term success.
The timeline for public availability — by the end of 2026 — means that San Diegans could be hailing driverless rides within months. Whether the service will launch citywide or in limited areas remains to be seen, but the transition to fully autonomous testing marks the final stage before commercial operations begin. For a city that has watched autonomous vehicles navigate its streets with human backup drivers for months, the shift to true driverless operation will be the moment when the future of transportation becomes the present.
Sources: San Diego Union-Tribune, San Diego Union-Tribune – Waymo Arrival, San Diego Union-Tribune – MTS Opposition, Waymo Safety Data
