Waymo Could Soon Pick Up in Cupertino

Waymo is moving closer to putting its driverless ride-hailing service on Cupertino streets. The Alphabet-owned company said this week it will expand Bay Area operations in the coming weeks to include Cupertino, Campbell and additional San Jose neighborhoods, extending a service area that already spans much of San Francisco and Silicon Valley. Local reporting in Santa Clara County said the change would make autonomous vehicles a more regular presence in West Valley cities as state regulators, not local governments, oversee the permits that allow the service to operate. ### When could riders actually be picked up in Cupertino? May 13 is the clearest marker so far. Waymo said in a company post that San Francisco Bay Area expansions would follow “over the next few weeks,” and San Jose Spotlight and NBC Bay Area both reported that Cupertino is part of that near-term rollout. Cupertino was already inside the geography Waymo sought to add through California regulatory filings in 2025. (sanjosespotlight.com) The California Public Utilities Commission approved Waymo’s Advice Letter 0003 on May 19, 2025, authorizing an expanded passenger safety plan tied to a broader deployment area that included the South Bay. (waymo.com) ### What approvals matter more here — the city’s or the state’s? California agencies hold the key approvals. The CPUC said in its May 19, 2025 disposition letter that Waymo’s updated passenger safety plan was approved in connection with an expanded operational design domain for deployment approved by the California Department of Motor Vehicles. (cpuc.ca.gov) San Jose Spotlight reported that local officials in West Valley cities have little direct authority over whether Waymo vehicles operate on their streets because the DMV and CPUC handle the approvals. Campbell Mayor Dan Furtado told the outlet, “All I know is Waymo is planning to come.” ### How big is the expansion around Cupertino? (cpuc.ca.gov) About 60 square miles are being added in this latest South Bay move. San Jose Spotlight reported that the increase would bring Waymo’s Bay Area service area to more than 330 square miles, while NBC Bay Area reported the same approximate addition and said Cupertino and Campbell were among the next places to come online. (sanjosespotlight.com) May 13 also marked a broader company push. Waymo said it was growing to more than 1,400 square miles across 11 cities over the next few weeks, with the Bay Area included in that expansion plan. ### Is Cupertino a brand-new market for Waymo cars? Cupertino is new as a rider service area, but not new to Waymo’s California expansion map. TechCrunch reported in May 2025 that CPUC approval opened the door for Waymo to bring commercial robotaxi service farther into Silicon Valley, even though the company said at the time that the ruling would not immediately change operations. (sanjosespotlight.com) (waymo.com) The California DMV’s public permit page shows Waymo remains one of the companies authorized for autonomous vehicle testing and deployment activity in the state, with DMV rules setting the conditions under which its vehicles can operate. ### What are local officials saying as the cars move in? Los Gatos Mayor Rob Moore told San Jose Spotlight that he had learned municipalities do not control autonomous vehicle operations and said Waymo had indicated Los Gatos could see vehicles within several months. (techcrunch.com) Moore said he saw a safety case for the technology, while also raising questions about liability and how communities would react to a serious crash involving a driverless car. (dmv.ca.gov) Sandy Karp, a Waymo spokesperson, told San Jose Spotlight that the larger footprint would help residents and visitors move around safely and efficiently as San Jose and nearby cities prepare for events including the FIFA World Cup. That statement was presented by the outlet as Waymo’s explanation for the timing of the South Bay growth. (sanjosespotlight.com) ### What should Cupertino riders watch next? The next concrete sign is a live service-area update from Waymo. NBC Bay Area said the Cupertino rollout is expected in the coming weeks, and Waymo’s own May 13 post set the same timeframe for Bay Area growth. Once the company flips the area on in its app, Cupertino pickups would move from regulatory possibility to active service. (nbcbayarea.com) (sanjosespotlight.com)