🚗 Waymo first with driverless taxi rides on highways in the US

🚗 Waymo first with driverless taxi rides on highways in the US

Waymo becomes the first robotaxi company in the US to offer driverless rides on highways, available around the clock in San Francisco, Phoenix and Los Angeles. The service uses the same software and sensors as for city driving.

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  • Waymo becomes the first robotaxi company in the US to offer driverless rides on highways, available around the clock in San Francisco, Phoenix and Los Angeles.
  • The service uses the same software and sensors as for city driving, supplemented with testing on closed courses and simulations for highway conditions.
  • The expansion also includes San Jose with access to San Jose International Airport, where Waymo charges the same fee as other taxi companies.

First commercial highway service without drivers

Waymo launches commercial robotaxi rides on highways as the first company in the US. Starting Wednesday, certain users can book rides that include highway sections in San Francisco, Phoenix and Los Angeles. The service is available around the clock for users who have chosen to test new features.

The company, owned by Alphabet Inc., plans to gradually make the service available to more users. Waymo has not shared a timeline for when highway driving will be offered in other markets where the company is active.

Same technology as for city driving

Waymo uses the same software platform and sensor system for highway driving as for city driving. To adapt the systems to highway conditions, the company has used a combination of testing on closed courses and simulations. The systems have been trained to handle both rare and inevitable driving conditions.

The cars keep pace with traffic and drive up to the speed limit on highways. If the vehicle needs to stop, it exits the highway and finds a safe spot on a nearby road.

Expansion to San Jose and airport

Waymo expands its coverage area in the Bay Area to also include San Jose. The new area includes San Jose International Airport.

The company is also actively working with San Francisco International Airport, where it currently has permission for testing operations.

Status of competitors

Waymo's American competitors are also testing highway driving and in some cases charging customers, but have so far had a human in the car. Tesla recently launched its self-driving taxi service in Austin, where certain highway rides are offered with a safety monitor in the driver's seat. The company is also testing a purpose-built self-driving "Cybercab" that according to Elon Musk will begin production in April.

Outside the US, Chinese robotaxi company WeRide offers certain rides on highways in Abu Dhabi, also with safety drivers.

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