Waymo Expands Autonomous Ride-Hailing Service to Everyone in Los Angeles
Waymo, the autonomous driving subsidiary of Alphabet Inc (GOOG, GOOGL), has made a major move in its quest to bring self-driving cars to the mainstream. The company announced on Tuesday that its autonomous ride-hailing service is now open to everyone in Los Angeles. This means that anyone in the City of Angels can now download the Waymo One app and request a ride in one of the company’s self-driving vehicles.
Waymo first launched its commercial operations in Los Angeles earlier this year, but initially, rides were limited to a select group of individuals who signed up to join the company’s waitlist. The company gradually added new riders to the service, but now it has eliminated the waitlist completely. This move signifies Waymo’s commitment to expanding its reach and making its autonomous ride-hailing service accessible to a wider audience.
“La La Land is now our third city open to all riders, with waitlists removed and more cities on the way,” said Saswat Panigrahi, Waymo’s Chief Product Officer, in a post on X. The company plans to expand its service area in Los Angeles to cover even more of the city in the future.
Expanding Reach and Competition in the Autonomous Vehicle Market
With this latest expansion, Waymo joins San Francisco and Phoenix as cities where its autonomous ride-hailing service is available to everyone. Waymo currently operates a fleet of all-electric vehicles that have been customized to enable autonomous driving in these cities. The company boasts a significant presence in the autonomous vehicle market, delivering over 150,000 paid rides every week to the public.
Waymo’s move comes at a critical time in the development of the autonomous vehicle industry. The company is facing stiff competition from other major players like General Motors’ Cruise and Amazon.com’s Zoox. While Cruise was once considered a strong competitor to Waymo, the company suspended all its US operations late last year following an accident involving one of its robotaxis. Amazon’s Zoox is currently testing its custom-built robotaxi in San Francisco, offering rides to company employees.
Waymo’s recent $5.6 billion investment round, led by its parent company Alphabet, signals its commitment to further expanding its robotaxi service. With its growing presence and substantial funding, Waymo is poised to remain a major force in the autonomous vehicle industry for years to come.
