Google “going all-in” on self-driving vehicles
Google-parent Alphabet is going all-in on autonomous vehicles, committing up to $5 billion to fund its Waymo unit as the startup continues to test its driverless cars across the US. “I’m really pleased with the progress Waymo is making, a real leader in the space and getting rave reviews from users,” Google CEO Sundar Pichai said during […]
Phoenix: Bodycam captures driverless Waymo being pulled over by police
An autonomous Waymo car has been pulled over by police in Phoenix, Arizona and the incident on 18 June was caught on body camera after the officer observed the vehicle ‘going haywire’ in traffic. “I couldn’t help but come over here just out of morbid curiosity. I thought maybe there was a passenger,” a passerby said to […]
San Francisco: No more waiting list for Waymo’s self-driving taxis available
Waymo’s self-driving taxis are now available for everyone in San Francisco. The company, owned by Google parent Alphabet, hailed the breakthrough as a “key milestone” in its effort to scale its operations. Until now, says IoT World Today, anyone wishing to ride in Waymo’s autonomous Jaguar I-Pace SUVs in the city had to sign up […]
Wayve set to take on US AV tech giants
British autonomous vehicle firm Wayve has announced that it is hiring staff who would be responsible for “supervising and directing a team of drivers and safety operators, and overseasing on-road experimentation and development” based out of Mountain View in the San Francisco Bay Area. The London-based driverless vehicle oioneers are planning to put cars on […]
“A big deal”: Waymo’s 50,000 autonomous ride-hailing trips per week
Waymo recently announced on X that it now provides 50,000 paid autonomous ride-hailing trips per week in three cities, and one of these is relatively new. This is undoubtedly a proof point that its autonomous ride-hailing services (ARS) are a viable and safe technology that is being accepted in the marketplace, says Seeking Alpha. Waymo recently announced […]
Waymo under investigation after reports of AV crashes and ‘traffic violations’
The US government’s highway safety agency (NHTSA) has opened another investigation of automated driving systems, this time into crashes involving Waymo’s self-driving vehicles. NHTSA posted documents detailing the probe on its website yesterday after getting 22 reports of Waymo vehicles either crashing or doing something that may have violated traffic laws. In the past month, the agency […]
Autonomous taxis: ‘Mixed Messages’ on US$470bn Market Readiness
Over the last three to four years, the driverless robotaxi industry has begun to flourish. Driverless services are coming online in multiple cities across the US and China. IDTechEx‘s recent report, “Future Automotive Technologies 2024-2034: Applications, Megatrends, Forecasts“, predicts that the driverless robotaxi industry will be generating over US$470 billion annually through services in 2034. This […]
Los Angeles: Waymo launches ‘milestone’ paid robotaxi service
Waymo yesterday launched its paid robotaxi service in Los Angeles. The company announced details for its service in Los Angeles in January as it sought state regulatory approval and local support. Within the last year, Waymo has offered free “tour” rides in Los Angeles, and last month, it received regulatory approval to expand to a paid service, despite pushback from the […]
Waymo offering free driverless rides in Los Angeles
Google’s driverless car sister company, Waymo, has announced it is expanding its driverless operation, with rides starting in an area of Los Angeles. It will begin its expansion by offering rides in a 63 square mile area from Santa Monica to Downtown LA, scaling operations over time. These initial rides will be free, and with […]
California Public Utilities Commission approves Waymo expansion plan
Waymo can expand its robotaxi service to the Peninsula and Los Angeles, state regulators said Friday. NBC Bay Area is reporting. The company’s driverless ride-hailing operations launched last year in San Francisco. “We’re grateful to the CPUC for this vote of confidence in our operations, which paves the way for the deployment of our commercial Waymo One […]
