Waymo is starting tests of its fifth-generation driverless Jaguar I-Pace in Austin as it advances towards launching a ride-hail service. Initially, rides will be for Waymo employees, with plans to open to the public later. Waymo's expansion in Austin contributes to its roadmap of providing autonomous vehicle services in multiple cities.
Thursday, March 7, 2024Waymo One now allows anyone in San Francisco to hail a ride with its autonomous vehicles. The company is scaling up operations after offering tens of thousands of trips weekly. Its all-electric fleet supports the local economy and its sustainability goals. Citing enhanced safety, Waymo says its vehicles are involved in significantly fewer crashes compared to human drivers.
Waymo is expanding its robotaxi service areas in San Francisco and Los Angeles, indicating confidence in its autonomous vehicle technology.
Waymo's new driverless technology should be able to handle a wider array of weather conditions without requiring as many cameras and sensors. The upcoming Waymo-Zeekr has an accessible interior with a low step, a high ceiling, more leg room, and other features. The car system has a 360 view of obstacles and its sensors have wipers to clear them of most dirt and precipitation. Pictures of the sixth-generation self-driving car are available in the article.
Waymo has unveiled its Generation 6 self-driving technology, which requires fewer cameras and sensors, integrated into Geely Zeekr EVs. The Alphabet unit plans to rapidly deploy this tech, leveraging machine learning and semiconductor advancements to withstand diverse weather conditions. This update supports Waymo's scaling efforts for its Waymo One service, which is currently providing 50,000 weekly trips.
Waymo is now providing more than 100,000 paid robotaxi rides per week in the US. It serves the most trips in San Francisco. The company claims that its driverless vehicles have driven over 14.8 million rider-only miles. It also claims that the Waymo Driver is 3.5 times better at avoiding crashes that cause injuries and 3 times better at avoiding police-reported crashes than human drivers.