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Waymo's car in Mountain View
Photo: Andrei Sokolov / dpa
After twelve years of testing, Google sister company Waymo and General Motors subsidiary Cruise have been given the go-ahead to launch commercial robotaxi services in California.
The prerequisite, however, is that a safety driver must be behind the wheel, as the regulatory authority CPUC announced on Monday (local time).
Both companies now also offer trips where the driver's seat remains empty.
However, you are still not allowed to collect any money for it.
Waymo and Cruise had previously received clearance from the California Transportation Authority.
Waymo is permitted to operate its self-driving cars in portions of San Francisco and San Mateo County in Silicon Valley as part of the 24/7 commercial service at speeds of up to 100 kilometers per hour (65 miles per hour).
Cruise's robotic taxis can transport paying passengers between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m. at up to almost 50 kilometers per hour.
In San Francisco, a pilot project offered free transportation in the self-driving Jaguar I-Pace electric SUV.
But you had to apply to be a tester.
And in return, users had to sign a non-disclosure agreement and provide the company with data and feedback.
Waymo and Cruise are firmly focused on building services with fully self-driving robotaxis.
In Germany, the Intel subsidiary Mobileye wants to start the first service with autonomous vehicles in Munich by the end of the year.
joe/dpa
