Waymo’s lobbyists were busy in 2024.
A recent review of lobbyist disclosure data by the San Francisco Examiner revealed that Waymo paid lobbyists to meet with San Francisco government officials 348 times last year.
The pop of lobbyist activity coincides with Waymo’s expansion in San Francisco and its ambitions for the greater Bay Area. Waymo has been present in the San Francisco area since 2009, but until August 2023, the company will be able to charge customers in the city 24 hours a day for rides in its fleet of self-driving Jaguar I vehicles. It’s done. – Pace vehicle.
Since then, Waymo has expanded its footprint and the number of customers it serves. Waymo ditched waitlists for its San Francisco Robotaxis service last June, removing the final hurdle for customers who want to use self-driving technology. Last year, the company expanded its coverage area by another 10 square miles to include Bay Area cities and began testing driverless vehicles on SF freeways.
Waymo also wants to pick up customers at the San Francisco airport, as TechCrunch reported last July. Lobbyist disclosure data separately shows an increase in visits with airport authority officials.