What is actually launching
After driverless testing in central San Diego this summer, the California Public Utilities Commission gave Waymo its final approval for fared passenger service in San Diego on August 14, 2026. Per Waymo’s own launch description and local reporting (KPBS, NBC 7, August 2026): a starting service area of roughly 40 square miles of central San Diego, a fleet of about two dozen vehicles, 24/7 hailing through the Waymo app, scaling gradually. Waymo operates its own San Diego depot. Local taxi drivers, through United Taxi Workers of San Diego, opposed the launch as unfair competition; the objection did not stop the approval.
Credit where due: Waymo’s safety record is strong — IIHS-published data as of July 2026 supports it — and for a short, solo, no-luggage hop inside the zone it is a genuinely impressive and often cheaper product. The difference between a robotaxi and a licensed car service in San Diego is service coverage, not safety.
The trips a robotaxi cannot take (August 2026)
- SAN airport. Airport curbside access is a separate San Diego County Regional Airport Authority decision, still pending at launch. No robotaxi pickup or drop-off at Terminal 1 or Terminal 2.
- Anything outside ~40 square miles. No LAX. No Cross Border Xpress (CBX) for Tijuana flights. No Rose Bowl, SoFi Stadium or any Los Angeles event run. No Del Mar, Encinitas, Carlsbad, Oceanside or East County.
- Luggage. No one loads, unloads or watches your bags. An airport trip is a luggage trip.
- Children. No car seats supplied, and unaccompanied minors are prohibited. School runs and teen transportation need a licensed human driver.
- Six passengers. Waymo's vehicles do not carry a six-person party with luggage; EGT’s Cadillac Escalade IQ-L does.
- A price you can plan on. Waymo prices dynamically. There is no published flat rate to hold it to.
Which trip belongs to which service
| Trip | Waymo (at launch) | Elite Green Transportation |
|---|---|---|
| Short hop inside central San Diego, solo, no luggage | Yes — often the cheaper ride | Yes, but the robotaxi may beat us on price |
| SAN airport transfer | No (approval pending) | $65 Downtown · flat, all-in |
| SAN from La Jolla / Coronado / Del Mar | No (outside zone / airport pending) | $80 BMW i7, all-in |
| LAX | No | $425 any vehicle, flat |
| CBX / Tijuana Airport bridge | No | $49 from Chula Vista, zone ladder published |
| Concert or stadium run with a wait-and-return | No staging, no LA venues | Yes — driver stages during the show |
| Child or teen in the car | No | Yes — car seats parent-supplied and parent-installed; minors carried under recurring family arrangements |
| Six passengers + luggage | No | Yes — Escalade IQ-L |
The green question has a new answer
Until now, “the electric option” in San Diego meant EGT. Waymo’s fleet is electric too — so the environmental tiebreak is gone, and the honest comparison moves to service: a named human driver confirmed in advance, luggage in the trunk before you touch it, a flat published rate, an owner who answers the phone, and a service area that covers all of San Diego County plus LAX, CBX, SNA and Los Angeles event runs. Both cars are clean. Only one of them can meet you at baggage claim’s curb with your name on the manifest.