Waymo Launches Fare-Free AV Ridehail Trial, San Francisco, CA 2021

Waymo, an autonomous vehicle (AV) company and subsidiary of Alphabet, is testing a new ridehail service. Customers can request to participate in the Waymo One Trusted Tester program by first downloading the Waymo One app. After being selected to participate, these customers can request free point-to-point rides within certain areas of San Francisco. Some of the neighborhoods within the testing boundary include the Castro, the Haight-Ashbury, Noe Valley, Pacific Heights, the Richmond, and the Sunset. Rides are available at all times and take place on electric Jaguar I-PACE vehicles. Wheelchair accessible vehicles are available on request. All rides are staffed by autonomous specialists who can manually operate the AVs if necessary. The Trusted Tester passengers are prompted to share feedback on their ride experiences to inform all research for Waymo moving forward.

This AV ridehail trial is Waymo’s second after launching a similar program in Phoenix in 2017. If successful, this trial can spur broader research and adoption of AVs across the Bay Area and other regions. AVs used for ridehailing can encourage people to substitute trips made in personal vehicles and potentially improve road safety.

Last updated September 22, 2021