California DMV approves map increase in Waymo driverless operations

Waymo expansion and geography

• Commenters are impressed by the speed and scale of Waymo’s rollout, including a very large Southern California area and talk of 30+ metros by 2026.
• People discuss specific coverage quirks (e.g., Cupertino partial inclusion, no Santa Cruz, long north–south SoCal corridor, possible intercity trips like Mountain View→Napa or LAX→San Diego).
• Some note disappointment that their own (politically difficult) cities are unlikely to see Waymo soon.

Waymo vs Tesla and other AVs

• Several argue Tesla is not real competition: still supervised, akin to where Waymo was years ago.
• A few Tesla owners report impressive FSD performance on specific trips, but others counter that anecdotes don’t address the “99% problem” and safety must be near-perfect for unsupervised use.
• There’s mention of many other driverless-testing companies as true competitors.

Regulation and “approved maps”

• Some ask why there’s a whitelist map at all instead of blanket approval.
• Others explain the DMV requires defined areas and conditions, including technical readiness, law-enforcement interaction plans, and detailed mapping.
• White‑listing is seen as safer administratively and politically than black‑listing.
• Discussion notes that in California, AV regulation is largely at the state level; cities are generally preempted from banning them.

Pricing, costs, and economics

• Reported Waymo prices vary widely: some say around $2/mile theoretical rate, others report closer to $6/mile effective.
• There’s debate over true operating cost per mile, fleet cost (~$60k/year per car was cited), and whether AV rides can ever approach “fuel + wear” pricing.
• Some think costs will fall with scale; others highlight large R&D and ongoing operating expenses.

User experience vs Uber/Lyft

• Many recount positive rides: clean cars, safe driving, reliable late-night pickups, and no last‑minute cancellations.
• Frustration with Uber/Lyft is a major theme: repeated cancellations, drivers gaming the system, long waits, and deteriorating vehicle quality.
• Some expect “enshittification” of Waymo (higher prices, ads), but note robots don’t chase surge pay or cancel for short trips.

Safety and behavior around AVs

• Riders generally feel Waymo drives cautiously and predictably, though sometimes awkwardly (e.g., odd detours, clumsy parallel parking).
• One theme: humans sometimes drive worse around AVs, trying to outsmart them and creating new hazards.
• A few remain uneasy about high‑speed highway use and long‑term safety, but others compare AVs favorably to inattentive human drivers.

Future outlook

• People expect expansion to be constrained more by fleet size, operations, and politics than core tech.
• Some envision future cities (perhaps outside the US) with all‑autonomous fleets, reduced parking, and less congestion, while others are skeptical about timelines and governance quality.
• There’s hope AVs will eventually reach smaller or aging communities, possibly including autonomous buses.