Waymo says it has received approval from the California Public Utilities Commission to expand its autonomous ride-hailing service across more of California. According to Engadget, the approval would let Waymo offer rides in Sacramento and San Diego for the first time, while also expanding its service area in the San Francisco Bay Area and Los Angeles. Techmeme’s summary of Electrek likewise reports that Waymo received CPUC approval to expand across 18 counties, including Sacramento and San Diego. Engadget lists the approved footprint as Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin, Napa, Sacramento, San Francisco, San Mateo, Santa Clara, Santa Cruz, Solano, Sonoma, Yolo, Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, San Diego and Ventura counties. The approval does not mean Waymo robotaxis will immediately appear everywhere in that footprint. Engadget reports that Waymo said the expansion will be gradual and guided by its safety framework. That distinction matters: the regulatory clearance appears to broaden where Waymo may operate, but the company is still describing a staged rollout rather than a same-day service launch across all 18 counties. Engadget says the CPUC approval appears to respond to a January letter in which Waymo sought approval for a safety plan tied to the expanded service area it had announced in November 2025. The outlet also notes that Waymo received feedback from the CPUC and at one point had its request suspended, according to CPUC materials. Waymo’s announcement suggests those issues have been resolved, although Engadget said it had contacted the CPUC to confirm the details. The timeline has been building for months. Engadget reports that Waymo announced plans to expand into San Diego in November 2025 and Sacramento in February 2026. In July, the company said it would soon test fully autonomous rides without a safety driver in San Diego, Denver, Tampa and Las Vegas. Engadget also reports that, based on Waymo’s original letter, the CPUC permission should allow the company to offer rides in California using its existing Jaguar I-Pace vehicles and its new Ojai robotaxis, custom minivans built by Chinese automaker Zeekr. The provided reports do not say when each vehicle type will enter each newly approved market. For now, the strongest supported takeaway is regulatory scope: Waymo says California has cleared a broad expansion, but the operational rollout remains gradual and not fully specified in the provided reports. Who benefits: Waymo benefits from a broader approved operating footprint in California. Potential riders in Sacramento and San Diego may also gain access to Waymo service once the company begins operating there. Who's exposed: Incumbent ride-hailing and local transportation providers in the newly approved areas are more exposed if Waymo scales service beyond limited rollout. The degree of exposure is still unclear because Waymo says expansion will be gradual.