San Francisco moves to center of robotaxi universe after California agency vote

FILE PHOTO: A Cruise self-driving car, which is owned by General Motors Corp, is seen outside the company's headquarters in San Francisco where it does most of its testing, in California, U.S., September 26, 2018. REUTERS/Heather Somerville/File Photo

SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) -California just supercharged the self-driving car industry.

Following a contentious state agency vote, Alphabet Inc’s Waymo and General Motors’ Cruise are allowed to take paying passengers day or night throughout San Francisco, solidifying the tech hub as the center of the autonomous vehicle (AV) industry. It marks a significant step forward for the nascent technology.