What does the future of driverless taxi service in Los Angeles look like? It's already here

Driverless taxis may soon become a more common sight on Los Angeles County streets.

On March 1, state regulators gave Waymo, the self-driving taxi company owned by Google's parent, Alphabet, the green light to expand its robotaxi service to Los Angeles County, clearing the way for the company's expansion into one of the biggest markets in the country.

While local transportation agencies deal with day-to-day traffic operations in their respective jurisdictions, the California Public Utilities Commission oversees the regulation of driverless vehicles across the state, superseding local governments.

Waymo has not disclosed a timeline for when its service will become widely available, but a handful of Waymo vehicles are already roaming about the county, including around the USC campus, as part of its ongoing testing and promotion program.

Under its new approval agreement, Waymo's driverless fleet can operate in Los Angeles, Santa Monica, Beverly Hills, Inglewood, East Los Angeles, Compton and many more locales.

Here's what we know so far about the future of driverless taxis in L.A. County:

What is a Waymo One vehicle and how does it work?

Just like Lyft or Uber, Waymo One is a ride-hailing service, with prices based on the distance for each trip. But unlike those other services, there will be nobody to make small talk with while riding in a Waymo One vehicle because the vehicles are controlled by computer software.

Passengers input their destination via an app and can sit in the front or the backseat, but are not allowed in the driver's seat, according to Waymo.

The company currently uses the all-electric SUV Jaguar I-Pace as part of its fleet in San Francisco and Phoenix, which are equipped with lidar, cameras, radar and an AI platform to safely maneuver through traffic.

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