Waymo, the Alphabet-owned autonomous ride-hailing company, has announced plans to deploy self-driving cars on freeways in Phoenix, Arizona. Although the initial phase will involve testing with Waymo employees, the company intends to expand the service to customers in the future. This move signifies a significant development for Waymo, as it marks its expansion beyond surface roads, where it currently operates driverless rides in Arizona and California.
By venturing onto freeways, Waymo aims to speed up certain trips, particularly pickups from the Phoenix airport. The company recognizes the importance of utilizing freeways as it plans to scale its operations to other cities. Consequently, Waymo is placing great emphasis on testing its freeway ride-hailing capabilities.
As Waymo takes this step forward, some of its competitors in the robotaxi sector face setbacks. Most notably, Cruise, the General Motors-backed startup, recently settled an investigation by California state regulators. The investigation focused on Cruise’s handling of a pedestrian incident involving one of its robotaxis. Cruise has encountered several obstacles since the incident, including the departure of key executives, staff reductions, reduced investment from GM, a suspension of its testing permit in California, and the temporary suspension of its robotaxi fleet.
Conversely, Waymo has continued to make steady progress, meticulously addressing barriers to the introduction of autonomous vehicles. The company’s cautious approach has allowed it to maintain its leadership position in this area. However, despite its advancements, widespread availability of Waymo’s robotaxis or similar services across the country is still years away. The process of commercializing autonomous vehicles is expected to be lengthy.
The increasing presence of self-driving cars on freeways demonstrates the ongoing transformation of the transportation industry. As autonomous technology continues to evolve and gain public acceptance, businesses and policymakers will need to stay informed and make informed decisions to keep up with the pace of innovation.
The source of the article is from the blog revistatenerife.com