Exclusive-Waymo, Cruise seek permits to charge for autonomous car rides in San Francisco

FILE PHOTO: A Waymo Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid self-driving vehicle returns to a depot in Chandler, Arizona, November 29, 2018. REUTERS/Caitlin O’Hara/File Photo

BERKELEY, Calif. (Reuters) -Alphabet Inc’s Waymo and rival Cruise have applied for permits needed to start charging for rides and delivery using autonomous vehicles in San Francisco, state documents reviewed by Reuters showed, setting the stage for the biggest tests yet of their technology in a dense urban environment.

Neither company revealed when they intend to launch services. But they detailed contrasting deployment plans, with Waymo starting with "drivered operations" and Cruise expecting to deploy vehicles without humans behind the wheel.