Services in San Francisco
Tesla Open to the public
A safety operator rides along · Book in: Tesla Robotaxi app · Since July 2025
About 1,098 sq mi from San Francisco south to San Jose (Nov 2026) · Airport: San Jose (SJC) since Oct 2025; San Francisco (SFO) added July 2026
Runs as an ordinary charter-car service with a human driver using supervised FSD; California regulators say it is not an autonomous service and Tesla holds no driverless permit there.
Sources: Not a Tesla App, November 5, 2026; Not a Tesla App, July 21, 2026; Electrek, March 25, 2026; Not a Tesla App, November 19, 2025; ABC7 News, July 31, 2025. Checked November 8, 2026.
Waymo Open to the public
No one in the driver’s seat · Book in: Waymo app · Since August 2023
Roughly 330 sq mi or more, from San Francisco down the Peninsula into San Jose, with more South Bay areas (e.g. Berryessa BART) added in late Oct 2026 · Airport: SFO: Rental Car Center and Grand Hyatt stops via AirTrain (limited riders); SJC: terminal curbside · Uses freeways
Waymo says SF residents were already riding free with no driver from late 2022; paid rides began after the August 2023 CPUC permit and the service opened to everyone in June 2024. Peninsula-to-San Jose coverage and freeway trips arrived in November 2025, paused in May 2026 and were back by September.
Sources: Waymo, November 8, 2026; Waymo, November 8, 2026; Waymo, October 27, 2026; CBS Austin, September 23, 2026; Waymo, August 11, 2023. Checked November 8, 2026.
Zoox Waitlist
No one in the driver’s seat · Book in: Zoox app · Since November 2025
Began in SoMa, the Mission and the Design District; roughly quadrupled in March 2026 across the eastern half of the city
Rides are free through the Zoox Explorers early-rider programme because Zoox lacks the California permits to charge fares.
Sources: The Charge Port, October 25, 2026; TechCrunch, July 30, 2026; TechCrunch, March 24, 2026; The Robot Report, November 18, 2025. Checked November 8, 2026.
Nuro, Lucid and Uber Invited riders
A safety operator rides along · Book in: Uber · Since April 2026
Test rides around San Francisco
Only Uber employees ride the Nuro-equipped Lucid Gravity SUVs, with a safety driver; Uber moved the public launch from late 2026 to Q1 2027 and plans it to be driverless from day one.
Sources: Uber Technologies (investor relations), November 4, 2026; The Charge Port, October 25, 2026; Uber Technologies (investor relations), June 17, 2026; Electrek, April 13, 2026. Checked November 8, 2026.
Cruise Ended
No one in the driver’s seat · Book in: Cruise app · Ran February 2022 – October 2023
Opened driverless rides to the public in 2022; California suspended Cruise's permits in Oct 2023 after a pedestrian was dragged, and GM shut the robotaxi business in Dec 2024.
Sources: Reuters (via The Star), December 11, 2024; TechCrunch, October 26, 2023; Motor Authority, February 2, 2022. Checked November 8, 2026.
What changed
Nuro, Lucid and Uber, San Francisco: Uber moved the public launch to Q1 2027, driverless from day one (Uber Technologies (investor relations))
Waymo, San Francisco: Announced more southern coverage, incl. Berryessa BART (Waymo)
Tesla, San Francisco: Added pickups and drop-offs at SFO (Not a Tesla App)
Waymo, San Francisco: Suspended freeway trips for software fixes around construction zones (TechCrunch)
Waymo, San Francisco: Announced about 60 sq mi more in the South Bay, to roughly 330 sq mi (NBC Bay Area)
Nuro, Lucid and Uber, San Francisco: Nuro said select Uber employees had begun test rides, with a safety driver, in Lucid Gravity robotaxis (Electrek)
Tesla, San Francisco: A senior CPUC official said Tesla holds a limo-style charter permit and is not running an autonomous service (Electrek)
Zoox, San Francisco: Quadrupled its San Francisco area and said robotaxi rides would come to Austin and Miami later in 2026 (TechCrunch)
Waymo, San Francisco: Began SFO rides for select riders at the Rental Car Center (Waymo)
Zoox, San Francisco: Started inviting the public off its waitlist for free rides (The Robot Report)
Waymo, San Francisco: Began freeway trips and extended service down the Peninsula to San Jose, incl. SJC curbside (Waymo)
Tesla, San Francisco: Added rides to and from San Jose airport (SJC) (Drive Tesla Canada)
Waymo, San Francisco: Received a pilot permit for commercial rides at SFO (Waymo)
Waymo, San Francisco: Cleared to offer driverless rides at San Jose airport (SJC) terminals (Waymo)
Tesla, San Francisco: Started invite-only ride-hailing with a human driver behind the wheel (ABC7 News)
Latest news from San Francisco
- "Not Ready To Be Uploaded Yet": Woman's Waymo Ride Takes a Frightening Turn in San Francisco, Leaving Her Questioning Self-Driving Cars
- Unidentified Vehicle Spotted in San Francisco
- S.F. Tesla driver who fatally struck man crossing highway said car was in full-self-driving mode
- Tesla pushes unsupervised FSD to Q2 2027, and only inside Robotaxi zones
- Waymo's robotaxis had 95% fewer serious crashes than humans. Now it plans a fleet of 20,000 cars