California DMV gives Cruise and Waymo OK to bill for rides

Autonomous vehicle developers Cruise and Waymo have both moved one step closer to running true driverless robotaxi services in and around San Francisco. In May, Waymo and Cruise applied to the California Department of Motor Vehicles for deployment permits (as opposed to test permits that allowed non-commercial operations). On Thursday, the DMV issued autonomous deployment permits to the two companies, which is a necessary step if the robotaxis is to charge passengers for their journeys.

San Franciscans may need night owls to catch a cruise; DMV clearance gives Cruise permission to operate on surface streets in a geo-fenced area of ​​San Francisco between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m. Cruise’s autonomous vehicles are permitted to operate in light rain and light fog, but they are not permitted to exceed 30 mph (48 km / h).

Waymo is authorized to operate over a larger area; DMV clearance is “in parts of San Francisco and San Mateo counties.” These axis robots are also reliable in dealing with light rain and light fog and are approved for speeds of up to 65 mph (105 km / h).

Both AV developers have been granted permission to test (as opposed to commercially deploy) their vehicles on California roads. Waymo was cleared to begin road tests in 2014 and to perform them without a safety driver from 2018. Meanwhile, Cruise was granted permission to start road tests with safety drivers in 2015 and driverless testing in 2020.

However, there are still points to be pointed and T’s to be crossed before Waymo or Cruise can actually begin to operate true commercial robotaxi services. Approval from the DMV is necessary, but not sufficient, as the California Public Utilities Commission must also approve such a service.