Ex-Waymo CEO John Krafcik on Tesla's Robotaxis: "Please let me know when Tesla launches a robotaxi — I'm still waiting. It's (rather obviously) not a robotaxi if there's an employee inside the car." In 2019, Waymo first began with what it called an "early rider program" in Arizona, allowing a select group of people to try the company's service. Safety drivers were present in the cars, and riders were temporarily put under a nondisclosure agreement.