Driverless Waymo Robotaxis Coming To Wine Country

NAPA VALLEY, CA — The automated ride-hailing service, Waymo, officially got the green light to start service across California including five Napa County locations.

The California Department of Motor Vehicles approved the major expansion of the robotaxis by allowing the Google-owned company to operate its fully autonomous vehicles in dozens of new California cities and towns up to the Mexican Border.

The DMV approved the cars for "testing and deployment" in American Canyon, Calistoga, Napa, St. Helena, and Yountville.

Waymo can operate driverless autonomous vehicles around the clock for testing, with no weather-related limits or speed restrictions (outside of posted speed limits). However, paid services in these areas requires a separate operating permit from the state Public Utilities Commission.

The Mountain View, Calif.-based company began with limited service but has crept further out into more areas, beginning with the robotaxis using freeways in the San Francisco Bay Area, Los Angeles, and Phoenix earlier this month. The company also expanded service to San Francisco and San Jose airports.

The new policy covers two models, the Jaguar I-PACE, which Waymo has been operating for its taxi service, and the Zeekr RT from China’s Geely Automobile.