Waymo's Self-Driving Taxi Service is Expanding by the Thousands
Justin Lam — January 30, 2018 — Autos
Waymo's self-driving taxi service is gearing up to be a massive fleet thanks to the thousands of minivans the company recently ordered from Chrysler. Waymo is the former self driving division of Google and is expecting to launch its autonomous taxi service in 2018. The fleet of Waymo vehicles will come in the form of Chrysler Pacific minivans and while it is being reported that thousands were ordered, there has yet to be a specific number released to the public. Waymo will begin testing its service in major US cities in 2018, begining in Phoenix, Arizona, following this initial release Waymo intends to branch out to 25 other cities.
This expansion of Waymo's self-driving taxi service provides two important takeaways. Firstly, Waymo is clearly not waiting for government approval of autonomous vehicles. According to Waymo spokesperson Johnny Luu, "our technology is ready today and we’re ready to scale today." Waymo's goal seems to be to maintain its lead in the driverless market and to test its progress in real world situations. The second takeaway focuses more on the regular population as this expansion shows just how close driverless vehicles are. Waymo will be testing in multiple cities in the US and it will not be long before passengers are being carted off in self-driving taxis.
This expansion of Waymo's self-driving taxi service provides two important takeaways. Firstly, Waymo is clearly not waiting for government approval of autonomous vehicles. According to Waymo spokesperson Johnny Luu, "our technology is ready today and we’re ready to scale today." Waymo's goal seems to be to maintain its lead in the driverless market and to test its progress in real world situations. The second takeaway focuses more on the regular population as this expansion shows just how close driverless vehicles are. Waymo will be testing in multiple cities in the US and it will not be long before passengers are being carted off in self-driving taxis.
Trend Themes
1. Expansion of Self-driving Taxis - The expansion of Waymo's self-driving taxi service highlights the growing trend of autonomous vehicles entering the transportation industry.
2. Early Market Entry for Autonomous Vehicles - Waymo's decision to launch its autonomous taxi service before government approval demonstrates the trend of companies taking a bold approach to disrupt traditional transportation systems.
3. Driverless Vehicles Becoming a Reality - Waymo's plan to test its self-driving taxi service in multiple US cities signals that the era of autonomous vehicles is rapidly approaching.
Industry Implications
1. Transportation - The transportation industry is being disrupted by the emergence of self-driving taxi services, changing the way people travel.
2. Automotive - The automotive industry is facing a significant shift as companies like Waymo introduce autonomous vehicles into the market, leading to new business opportunities in vehicle manufacturing and software development.
3. Technology - The advancement of self-driving technology by Waymo and other companies is revolutionizing the technology industry, creating opportunities for innovation in artificial intelligence and machine learning.
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