Waymo, Alphabet's self-driving tech company, has officially launched a mobile app on iOS, making it possible for residents in Phoenix to directly hail one of the company's autonomous taxis. The app for iPhone joins the Android version Waymo launched on the Google Play Store earlier this year. The move hints at the eventual large-scale launch of the Waymo One robotaxi service.
Self-driving car news has taken a backseat these days and with controversies surrounding Tesla's Autopilot features, you might presume car makers have silently retreated, at least for a short while. That's not the case, of course, but autonomous driving proponents and developers have just become more cautious. In contrast to its usual proud announcements, Waymo is taking a laid back and almost secretive approach to revealing its future plans for its self-driving technology, including private tests of a rider-only service that is currently ongoing in Phoenix.
Waymo has been operating a fleet of autonomous vehicles in several states for a while now. One of the areas it operates in is Arizona. Reports indicate that recently, Waymo sent out emails to users who have used Waymo's app to hail rides in the suburbs of Phoenix. The email was titled, "Completely driverless Waymo cars are on the way."
Waymo's autonomous cars are exploring Los Angeles, with Alphabet's self-driving business weighing the possibilities in one of the most stressful driving environments in the US. The company - a spin-off of Google's driverless project - confirmed its fleet is spreading to LA this week, though no customer rides are planned at this stage.
Waymo is working to ensure that its autonomous cars can operate in all conditions no matter what the day brings. The company says that it has been testing the last few years in snowy Novi, Michigan, rainy Kirkland, Washington, foggy San Francisco, and in the dust of Phoenix, Arizona. To test the Waymo vehicles in heavy rain, the company has announced that it is rolling out a new testing location and this one is in Miami, Florida.
Waymo is aiming to make its autonomous taxis even more appealing by adding WiFi connectivity in them, according to a new report. The WiFi option would enable passengers to use their gadgets without relying on their own mobile service, potentially appealing to customers who want to spend their commuting time getting work done.
Waymo is starting its slow autonomous drive into existing ride-hailing services, with a partnership with Lyft seeing some users of the service offered self-driving minivans for their journey. The collaboration builds on Waymo's existing pilot scheme for Waymo One, the autonomous ride-hailing service it has been offering since late last year.
Waymo's driverless cars are headed to France and Japan, with Alphabet's autonomous vehicle devision inking a new deal with Renault and Nissan. The move will see Waymo's technology expand from its current stomping grounds in the US, where in addition to prototype drives it also operates a Waymo One ride-hailing service in parts of Arizona.
Waymo has begun real-world testing of its newest autonomous fleet, with the first Jaguar I-PACE electric self-driving cars hitting the road in Mountain View, California. The Alphabet-owned Google spin-off inked a deal with Jaguar Land Rover back in March 2018, agreeing to put an astonishing 20,000 of the then-new I-PACE EVs into the driverless fleet over the next two years.
Waymo is bringing its self-driving trucks back to Arizona freeways, the company has announced, marking the return of its big rig testing in the Phoenix region. The company previously tested these autonomous semi-trucks in Arizona in 2017, later deploying the same large vehicles in Atlanta, Georgia. The self-driving vehicle company describes this as a continuation of its testing effort.
Two years ago, self-driving car company Waymo announced a partnership with ride-sharing service Lyft. The company announced the latest evolution in this partnership today, revealing that it will deploy several of its self-driving cars on the Lyft platform to offer public rides. Lyft users will be able to request the rides within the app, but only in one city.
Self-driving car company Waymo is planning to open an 85,000-square-foot "technical service center" in Mesa, Arizona, the company announced on Tuesday. According to Waymo, this new service will more than double its current capacity for servicing, maintaining, and growing its Waymo One fleet. As well, the company says it will hire "up to" hundreds of new employees in the city.