Would you hop into a car that pulled in at the curb to pick you up – with no driver in the driver seat? In fact no one in the car at all.
And if you would, would you sit in the front passenger seat or in the back like a regular taxi?
I’ve just been back to Santa Monica, Los Angeles checking out a bunch of lovely new restautants and bars worth visiting, and was quite alarmed to see these weird looking cars with whirly gigs on their roofs driving around.
As of June 2025 there are over 100 of these Waymo driverless taxis roaming 120sq miles of LA. They’re also in Austin, San Francisco, Phoenix and Atlanta, with Miami and Washington DC to come soon.
The company is owned by Google, in collaboration with Jaguar and Toyota. This car is an electric Jaguar I-PACE.
The way you use them is you download the Waymo app like Uber, then use the app to call the car. You input where you want to go for up to 4 people, then when it arrives you unlock the door with the app.
Once you’re in, and buckled up, you tap ‘start ride’ and a map will pop up on the screen so you can follow the journey. You also use the app to adjust the temperature, play your own music or podcast or listen to the car’s own playlist.
At this stage they do not go to LAX or I might have had the nerves to try it, but speaking to the manager at my hotel, he has ridden them around Santa Monica. He said they’re quite slow… they follow the road rules! No zipping up the inside to nip into the gap you can see ahead. They also stick to the speed limit ;D
The car itself is covered in bells and whistles. Gadgets spin and whir, cameras check its surroundings at all times.
I’ll give it a go next time. Have you been in one yet?
Need more?
I adored this whipped eggplant dip at Elephanté, and got the recipe! I’ve made it at home, so you can too.
My picks for the best places to drink and dine in Santa Monica, all within easy walking distance of each other.
My favorite Santa Monica hotels, and why they’re so special.
