Waymo Obtains Final Regulatory Approval for Freeway Driverless Trips in Los Angeles

Alphabet's autonomous driving unit Waymo has secured final regulatory approval from the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) to offer fully driverless commercial robotaxi rides across Los Angeles freeways at speeds up to 65 miles per hour.

The approval marks a critical milestone for commercial autonomous transport, expanding Waymo One service across key highway corridors including the I-10, I-405, and US-101. Waymo reported logging over 2 million test highway miles with zero safety-critical incidents prior to securing commercial authorization.

By granting freeway access, regulators enable Waymo to drastically reduce transit times between Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) and downtown urban hubs, establishing a scalable model for highway autonomous operations nationwide.