Waymo expands to Torrance, Manhattan Beach and other corners of L.A. County
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Waymo expanded its Los Angeles service area on Tuesday, adding three South Bay neighborhoods to the 210-square-mile region where the robotaxis roam.
Riders can now travel to Torrance, El Segundo, and Manhattan Beach in a Waymo driverless taxi, but they still won’t be able to call a ride to or from Los Angeles International Airport.
The Mountain View-based company also added high-demand destinations to its network, including Universal Studios and the Beverly Hills Hotel.
In May, Waymo launched its next-generation taxi dubbed the Ojai, which is cheaper to deploy and better equipped for extreme weather conditions.
As the robotaxi race heats up across the country, key players including Waymo, Zoox and Tesla claim their technology is safer than human drivers.
As Waymo’s fleet grows, so does the number of accidents involving its vehicles.
Crashes involving Waymo taxis tripled last year in L.A. County, according to a Times review of autonomous vehicle crash data filed with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
The vehicles still had relatively few incidents, and most were fender benders.
Around 80% of the crashes reported in the county this year resulted in no apparent injuries, 15% caused possible injuries, and fewer than 1% caused a suspected serious injury.
Waymo’s crash rate is falling, with the company reporting fewer crashes per million miles driven each year since 2023.
The robotaxis arrived in San Diego for the first time over the summer, around the same time the company also expanded into Tampa, Las Vegas and Denver.
Some local officials in San Diego objected to Waymo’s presence and asked the state for more authority over when and where the taxis can be deployed.
In addition to the new Los Angeles destinations, Waymo expanded its San Diego service area north to La Jolla on Tuesday. The Times reported last month that Waymo’s electric vehicles have been taking up space at public charging stations in San Diego County.
Drivers say the robotaxis are taking up charging spots at public stations, as San Diego officials push for more control over autonomous vehicles.
The company also added more square miles to its service areas in Nashville, Orlando and San Francisco, including a new BART connection at Berryessa Station.
Waymo said they are in discussions with airport officials about serving riders at LAX. Last year, a Los Angeles World Airports representative said LAX would move to integrate Waymo taxis once the automated Skylink people mover has been completed.
The people mover has been subject to years of delays since 2023 and will now open in February at the earliest.
Waymo has offered fully autonomous rides in San Francisco since 2022 and in Los Angeles since 2024. The robotaxis operate in 15 cities across the U.S.
