(Reuters) -Waymo will expand into more areas of the San Francisco peninsula and parts of Silicon Valley, as the sole commercial robotaxi operator in the U.S. seeks to scale up operations, the Alphabet unit said on Tuesday.

Between the lines: Waymo will also launch service Wednesday in more of Los Angeles — including Playa del Rey, Ladera Heights, Echo Park, Silver Lake and all of Sunset Boulevard — bringing its LA coverage area to more than 120 square miles.

Fresh off a tumultuous week that saw burning Waymo vehicles become a viral image of the Los Angeles protests against U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the Google-owned autonomous vehicle company is expanding its three service maps in California.