SAN JOSE, California: Waymo, the self-driving car company owned by Google’s parent firm, Alphabet, plans to expand its current market-dominant position to other US cities, the firm said on Oct 29.
Its robotaxis now make more than 150,000 journeys, driving over 1 million self-driving kilometres with passengers per week – without a human at the wheel.
The company is currently active in San Francisco, Los Angeles, Phoenix, and Austin and more recently in Atlanta. It did not list other cities where it might be available.
The chief executive of parent company Alphabet, Sundar Pichai, said Waymo robotaxis are becoming part of daily life more quickly in Austin and Atlanta. He said Waymo’s cooperation with the ride-hailing service Uber has helped.
A few weeks ago, Tesla chief executive Elon Musk unveiled a robotaxi prototype from the electric car manufacturer. He announced plans to start building the vehicles from 2026 and projected an annual production of around 2 million vehicles.
Musk has been promising self-driving Teslas for years – but they still only feature a driver assistance system that requires a human to remain responsible and ready to take control at any time. In contrast, at Waymo, there is no one behind the wheel.
The vehicles are significantly more expensive, as they ensure safety with additional sensors such as laser radars that scan the surroundings. This makes it more challenging to turn a profit. However, Waymo claims that newer systems are becoming more affordable.
Musk, on the other hand, intends to rely solely on cameras, which would reduce costs. Many industry experts, however, doubt that reliable autonomous driving is feasible using only video images. – dpa
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