Last week, two things happened that mostly showed up as brief news items. Having followed both of these developments for years, Iβm fascinated by how little attention they get. Each of them will, on its own, have a massive impact on our world.
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.
Waymo will begin testing driverless Jaguar vehicles in Miami during 2025, with planned launch of the taxi service in 2026. The company already operates over 150,000 trips per week in Phoenix, Los Angeles, San Francisco and Austin.
Waymo now provides over 100,000 paid robotaxi trips per week in the USA. The company has expanded its service to new areas in California and Arizona. Waymo is now testing driverless vehicles on highways around the San Francisco area.
Waymo's robotaxi is now performing 50,000 paid trips each week, up from 10,000 a year ago. The service is fully autonomous and available 24/7 in selected parts of Phoenix, San Francisco, and Los Angeles.