Waymo Pushes Into LA’s South Bay — 210 Square Miles, but Still No LAX

Waymo extended its Los Angeles robotaxi service south along the coast, adding Torrance, El Segundo and Manhattan Beach to its map. The Los Angeles service area now covers 210 square miles, the Los Angeles Times reported, and the expansion also takes in destinations such as Universal Studios and the Beverly Hills Hotel.

The Los Angeles move is part of a wider push Waymo announced on October 27: over one week, the company is scaling in five cities and adding nearly 250 square miles of territory across Los Angeles, Nashville, Orlando, San Diego and the San Francisco Bay Area. Waymo’s website now lists 15 areas where riders can ride, with 17 more — including New York, Washington, Chicago, Boston, Seattle, London and Tokyo — listed as “Up Next.”

One gap remains conspicuous: riders still cannot request trips to or from Los Angeles International Airport. Waymo says it is in active discussions with airport officials, and the airport authority says integration waits for the automated Skylink people mover, delayed since 2023 and expected to open in February at the earliest.

The expansion also comes with scrutiny. The Times reported that crashes involving Waymo vehicles tripled last year in Los Angeles County, based on its review of federal autonomous vehicle crash data — though about 80% of crashes reported this year caused no apparent injuries, and Waymo says its crash rate per million miles has fallen every year since 2023. Meanwhile, the California Public Utilities Commission is set to vote on new autonomous vehicle rules on November 19, after postponing the vote in late October.