California DMV approves map increase in Waymo driverless operations

why is there an approved map? like i get having a pilot somewhere but once that goes well (and we're way past that point), why isn't it just blanket approval everywhere. Why would one county be allowed waymos but not another.

I get that they might not be approved in the high sierras but just make that a deny list not allow list. Or even just deny the specific conditions you're worried about (snow).

I suspect it's limited by what the request was for. Waymo has to create the high res map before they can offer service.

I think laypeople vastly overestimate how much the maps are a bottleneck compared to boring things like infrastructure to charge, people to clean the vehicles, integrating with local governments to allow things like disabling Pickup/Dropoff in certain areas at certain times, etc.

Even with local partners that all takes a lot of time.

There's an approved map because the approval process requires the manufacturer to specify both areas and conditions they are applying for, and documents supporting that the vehicle is ready to be operated autonomously in those areas and conditions (which doesn't just include technical readiness, but also administrative readiness in the form of things like a law enforcement interaction plan, etc.)

> like i get having a pilot somewhere but once that goes well (and we're way past that point), why isn't it just blanket approval everywhere.

Because “everywhere” isn't a uniform domain (Waymo is kind of way out in one tail of the distribution in terms of both the geographical range and range of conditions they have applied for and been approved to operate in, other AV manufacturers are in much tinier zones, and narrow road/weather conditions.) And because for some AV manufacturers (if there is one that can demonstrate they don't need this, they'd probably have an easier lift getting broader approvals) part of readiness to deploy (or test) in an area is detailed, manufacturer specific mapping/surveying of the roads.

More of the state is not allowed than is... at least by geography.

Also, there's a practical element. If I have to specify where they can't go, the default position is they can go anywhere... if I inadvertently leave an area out of my black-list where it really ought to exist: the default is "permission granted". With a white-list, the worst case is a forgotten or neglected area can't be operated in as a default and the AV provider will have an interest in correcting.

But also politics. It's a very different message to say we're going to white-list a given AV operator to exist in different areas vs. black-listing them from certain areas.

My question is why they even have to apply for specific areas to begin with? Just approve the manufacturer for certain conditions and let them operate wherever they want.

Right but what does that have to do with the DMV. Waymo should apply for certain weather conditions and then the DMV says yes or no, then they stay the hell out of the way. Let waymo operate whereever they want and expand however they see fit and whenever they feel ready.

Like the DMV is actually checking Waymos map of a new area is good to go or not. Its just administrative burden.