Waymo is aiming for the Sunshine State as its next destination.
The startup, which is owned by Alphabet, declared on Thursday that it will begin operations in Miami. Before allowing users to use its robotaxi service via the Waymo One app in 2026, Waymo stated that it will start roaming the Florida city with human safety drivers in 2025.
Waymo’s decision to expand into Miami reflects its increasing confidence in its ability to operate its self-driving cars in more severe weather conditions in major American cities.
In 2019, Waymo conducted its first test in Miami, which the company said enhanced its self-driving cars’ capacity to maneuver in rainy and damp circumstances.
According to a company spokeswoman, we gained a deeper comprehension of how the Waymo Driver performs in inclement weather.
When Waymo brings its all-electric Jaguar I-PACEs back to the city next year, it will put what it has learned to use.
According to the corporation, some areas of Miami’s greater metropolitan region, which is home to more than 6 million people, would be included in its initial zone in Florida.
Thanks to more investment, Waymo has been growing its business operations at a quick pace over the past year.
To enable anyone to utilize Waymo One to hail a self-driving robotaxi across the almost 80 square miles of Los Angeles County, the firm announced in November that it was eliminating its roughly 300,000-person waitlist in the city. In Phoenix and San Francisco, the company’s ride-hailing service is also available throughout the city.
Additionally, Waymo announced a cooperation with Uber in Atlanta and Austin in September. As a result of that agreement, Uber users will be able to use Waymo’s robotaxis via the Uber app beginning in early 2025. Uber will also be in charge of fleet management and Waymo vehicle operations, including infrastructure and maintenance including car charging, cleaning, and repairs.
On Thursday, Waymo also revealed that it will collaborate with mobility startup Moove to oversee its fleet operations, facilities, and charging infrastructure in Phoenix and Miami. According to a Waymo representative, Moove will take over the management of Waymo’s Phoenix fleet in early 2025.
In October, Waymo closed a $5.6 billion investment round to extend its robotaxi service throughout the United States. Along with previous supporters Andreessen Horowitz, Fidelity, Perry Creek, Silver Lake, Tiger Global, and T. Rowe Price, Alphabet, the parent company of the autonomous car initiative and the business that owns Google, spearheaded the investment round.
According to the robotaxi business, over 150,000 paid rides are currently made every week in San Francisco, Phoenix, and Los Angeles through the Waymo One app.
Although competitors are on the horizon, Waymo is the only autonomous vehicle firm now running a commercial robotaxi service in a number of significant U.S. metro areas.
Following an incident in which one of its self-driving cars hurt a pedestrian in San Francisco, GM-owned Cruise is attempting to resume using its autonomous vehicles on public roads.
At an event in October, Tesla, on the other hand, unveiled design designs for a self-driving Robovan and Cybercab. Nonetheless, Tesla continues to categorize its Autopilot and Full Self-Driving software as partially automated driving systems, meaning that a human must always be available to steer or brake. Elon Musk, the CEO of Tesla, stated on an October earnings call that the business plans to introduce a self-driving ride-hailing service in Texas and California as early as 2025.
SoftBank-backed Amazon-owned Zoox is testing its self-driving cars without steering wheels in a number of U.S. cities, while Wayve is testing its autonomous vehicles in San Francisco.
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