Waymo and Volvo Car Group announced an expanded partnership that is intended to create a collaboration enabling easy integration of vehicles with the Waymo Driver. The integration will make the vehicles well-suited to ride-hailing, local delivery, tracking, and personal car ownership. Waymo is now the exclusive global L4 partner for the Volvo Car Group.
Waymo has thrown open its latest self-driving car data set, inviting autonomous vehicle researchers to take part in a set of competitions based on the plentiful data gathered by its driverless fleet. The Waymo Open Dataset Challenges comes as the Google spin-off adds 800 new segments to its multi-sensor dataset, and it could come as a good distraction if you're stuck at home because of coronavirus self-isolation.
Waymo has taken the wraps off its fifth-generation Waymo Driver system, detailing the technology that works to power self-driving cars and protect the people on the road. The latest version of Waymo Driver has been live in the San Francisco Bay Area for months, according to the company, which explains that the latest hardware sensor suite means its Jaguar I-Paces electric vehicles 'look a little different' from its past cars.
Waymo has announced the fruits of its first external investment funding round, revealing that it raised $2.25 billion from investors that include AutoNation and Andreessen Horowitz. The company says this investment follows a number of big milestones, including driving its vehicles on more than 20 million miles of public roads on top of another 10 billion miles in simulation.
Autonomous car company Waymo has announced a new partnership with the delivery company UPS. This is said to be 'a first-of-its-kind deal' involving Waymo Driver, the company's self-driving car tech. As part of this deal, Waymo Driver will help UPS deliver packages in Chrysler Pacifica vans, though the deliveries will be limited to just the UPS hub in Tempe, Arizona, as well as the Metro Phoenix region.
Alphabet's Waymo announced today that it's expanding to new markets, revealing that it's bringing some of its vehicles to Texas and parts of New Mexico. More specifically, those living in Texas and New Mexico can expect to see Waymo's Chrysler Pacificas and long-haul trucks on the road in the near future.
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.