Waymo to give free robotaxi rides during LA tour

Waymo is taking its 24/7 robotaxi service, Waymo One, on tour in Los Angeles this October. Waymo will be offering free rides to residents and visitors across different LA neighborhoods ahead of a wider service launch. 

The tour will start October 11 in Santa Monica and Venice, and will include six stops. During the tour, Waymo will be giving residents and visitors tickets to ride. These tickets will unlock the ability to ride within the service area for the current tour stop for one week. All rides will be free and available around the clock. 

After Santa Monica, the company will be heading to Centruy City, WeHo, Mid City, K-Town, and finally downtown LA (DTLA). The tour will end in DTLA on March 3, 2024. 

Interested riders can get tickets in two ways:

1. Attend a Waymo pop-up in local spots throughout LA. There, Waymo will be handing out early access tickets in addition to special tour merch while supplies last. 
2. Sign up for the waitlist. If you can’t make a pop-up, or tickets run out at one of the company’s events, interested riders can join Waymo’s waitlist online or through the Waymo One app. Waymo will share early access tickets via email with waitlisters who frequent tour-stop neighborhoods. 

Along the tour, Waymo will also be partnering with local businesses and community organizations to engage more with Los Angeles residents. 

Waymo first announced it was starting fully driverless testing in LA back in February. At the time, LA was the company’s third testing city, joining Phoenix and San Francisco. Since then, it has also announced that Austin will be the next city in which it will roll out its service. 

Last month, the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) granted Waymo its final permits, which allows the company to charge for all rides, expand hourly operations and service area, and add as many robotaxis as the company’s fleet as it wants in San Francisco.