Waymo is poised for Oakland. Waymo has won official approval to operate in the Town. Meanwhile, golden Tesla Cybercabs have been spotted around Lake Merritt.

Waymo has received official approval to operate in Oakland, California, which could lead to the deployment of its autonomous vehicles in the area. The California Public Utilities Commission approved the expansion, allowing Waymo to roll out its robotaxi service in the East Bay. The approval came a year after the California Department of Motor Vehicles authorized testing and deployment in Oakland, Berkeley, Fremont, Hayward, and Alameda. The decision was made by a five-member commission including individuals with backgrounds in energy, engineering, and electric vehicles. Waymo is expected to gradually deploy its robot cars in the East Bay, though the timeline is not yet known. The company has already deployed its cars in San Diego, and the rollout in Oakland could depend on technical factors like street mapping and network capacity.

• Waymo's robot cars in San Diego were deployed on September 1, just two weeks after the commission approved them for the city on August 14.
• The company's Robotaxi app has been available in Oakland since September 2025, but it currently involves human drivers in the service.
• Tesla has been seen with golden Cybercab cars around Lake Merritt in Oakland, and the company received approval to deploy automated cars in California for staff testing.

Tesla's self-certified automated Robotaxi cars have established a presence in Oakland thanks to the company's use of two Downtown parking garages. The company's Cybercab service in Oakland is available for passengers, but it currently involves human drivers and costs about the same as Uber or Lyft. The Cybercab was under investigation by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration over its self-certification of compliance with federal vehicle safety standards. The company's stock fell 5% on Friday due to the probe and the "underwhelming" Cybercab launch.

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