However, the road tests don’t necessarily indicate that commercial services are being imminently planned in these locations. So citizens of San Diego and Las Vegas — and the eight other locations — may spot a Waymo touring their cities this year, but they won't be able to hop in for a ride anytime soon.

Waymo is eyeing Las Vegas as one such testing bed. The city is, as Rose puts it, "interesting," which sounds quite a lot like a nice way to say "a huge damn mess." The Verge points out Vegas' chaotic strip,

A more favorable federal regulatory and legislative environment may help propel the growth of driverless ride-hailing vehicles in the United States.

Alphabet-owned Waymo plans to test its autonomous taxis in cities including Las Vegas and San Diego this year.

After testing the Waymo Driver in multiple cities, the company says the tech is adapting successfully to new environments, leading to the expansion.