Waymo Expands in LA: Everything to Know About the Growing Robotaxi Service
Self-driving cars are slowly becoming Less dystopia and more real world As a company like a company WaymoGoogle’s parent letters of driverless arms, expanding to more cities. On Tuesday, the company shared Add 10 square miles Until now in Los Angeles’ service areas, now include Ingwood, Crenshaw and part of Westchester.
Waymo currently operates fully automated rides through its public operations in the San Francisco, Phoenix and Los Angeles areas. Waymo An App. But in 2025, the company plans to add more locations to its lineup, eventually opening it to drivers in places like Atlanta and Miami. Waymo will also use a manually driven vehicle for testing 10 new cities This year, starting with Las Vegas and San Diego.
Independent rides are carried out on all motors Jaguar i-pacebut in October, Waymo announced Cooperate with modern Bringing next-generation technology into Ioniq 5 SUV. Over the next few years, riders will be able to use the Waymo One app to gather those fully electric vehicles – drivers without the wheels.
Self-driving technology companies are no strangers to large partnerships. In 2024, it says yes Join forces Together with Uber, bring its Robotaxi service to Atlanta and Austin through the Uber app. Starting this year, Uber will manage and dispatch fleets of Waymo’s fully autonomous cars, so you can choose to ride on the road without the driver.
Waymo says it offers more than just 150,000 trips Every week. I praised myself for a few rides in San Francisco and it seemed offensive at first (especially seeing the steering wheel turn itself), I quickly adjusted and it quickly felt like a regular ride.
This is not to say that Waymo has no push when it launches more cities. The company’s vehicles have been involved in some of the high-profile collisions, including A man with a bicycle In San Francisco, another one comes with a towed pickup truck in Phoenix. (it Recall and update its software To solve the problem. SF and Phoenix. “It also released Data Center Last year, efforts to use its technology to improve road safety were detailed.
As Waymo continues to expand and develop its autonomous driving technology, if you happen to be one of the few cities the company currently operates its fleet, here is a guide to how and where to call Robotaxi.
Watch the following: Test Waymo’s safe exit feature in self-driving taxi
Take a car in Phoenix
Phoenix is The first city We must open up the Waymo, which is completely autonomous to the public in 2020. To hype, please download Waymo a app ios or Android – No waiting list. The service runs 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
As a trailer for what’s going to happen in Austin and Atlanta, you can, too Using Uber app One of the vehicles summoning Waymo in Phoenix. When you ask for Uberx, Uber Green, Uber Comfort Electric Ride, you will have the option to confirm the Waymo ride if you match.
also Take a carYou may also have yours Uber Eats offers meals with self-driving cars. When placing an order in Phoenix, you may receive “Automatic cars may deliver your order”. When the Waymo car arrives, carry your phone with you to open the suitcase and grab your delivery. If you want humans to provide food, you can opt out during checkout.
Car ride in San Francisco
San Francisco follows the example after Phoenix, launches Completely independent amusement facilities by the end of 2022. it Cancel the waiting list In June, now anyone can download a Waymo app at any time. The service is also operated 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. There is currently no Uber partnership in San Francisco.
In August, Waymo Expanded ride service Entering the San Francisco Peninsula, adding 10 square miles and venture into Daly City, Broadmoor and Colma. Now, it operates within 55 square miles of the Bay Area.
Car rides in Los Angeles
In November, Waymo canceled its waitlist Los Angeles And start All public riders are welcome A single application via Waymo. Now any interested passenger can jump into the 24/7 robot and travel nearly 90 square miles across Los Angeles County, including Santa Monica, Beverly Hills and downtown Los Angeles – the plan will soon expand to more areas.
Coming soon: Austin and Atlanta
Earlier this month Uber is open It is Waitlist exist Austinso riders can express interest with Waymo Robotaxi celebrates on the journey ahead. Under the leadership of this collaboration, Waymo first began to allow “a limited number of early riders” to hail through its own robot Waymo a Apps, note that the process will eventually move to Uber’s platform.
“When we prepare for a commercial launch early next year, riders will cross the city’s 37 square miles – on the Uber app only,” Waymo Posted on X October.
The plan has not officially launched with Uber, but the plan is “soon”.
The Uber partnership should make it easier for more people to access autonomous driving, and they don’t have to download separate apps to ride Robotaxi now. “Waymo’s mission is to be the most trusted driver in the world, and we are delighted to have established an expanded network and operational partnership with Uber and Uber in Austin and Atlanta,” said Tekedra Mawakana, Waymo Co-CEO, in a statement in September. Partnerships to bring benefits to bring benefits. Completely autonomous driving towards more riders.”
As part of the Uber partnership, Uber will manage tasks such as vehicle cleaning and repair, and “Waymo will continue to be responsible for Waymo driver testing and operations, including roadside assistance and certain Rider Support Support features.” Uber also Customers will pay Waymo Robotaxi for the same fee as Uberx, Uber Green, Uber Comfort or Uber Comfort Electric and will see pre-price in the app.
In Atlanta, public riders can capture driverless rides through the UBER app starting in early 2025. Waymo employees are currently the only one in Atlanta who can praise a fully self-driving car.
Austin and Atlanta’s public can join List of interests And notify when riding.
Road ahead: Miami and future vehicles
Miami is also the next on the Waymo roster, but you will have to wait until 2026 to ride through the Waymo One app. It has Carry out weather tests In the leadership launched here, please note Blog Posts“Our road trips to Sunshine State with challenging rainy conditions were invaluable to improve our autonomous driving capabilities.”
Waymo will work with Moove, a fintech company that first provides vehicle financing in Phoenix, where Moove will manage fleet operations, facilities and paid infrastructure for Robotaxi. In Phoenix and Miami,” the company Blog Posts.
In August, Waymo unveiled Sixth generation Its autonomous driving technology is designed to expand the capabilities of its unmanned fleet. Smarter sensors are designed to help cars navigate better in extreme weather, Waymo said. Sixth generation drivers will be on full electric Zeekr Vehiclewhich features flat flooring, more head and legroom, adjustable seats, and a movable steering wheel and pedal. The updated technology is still under test, and the company says it will be available to riders soon.
In October, Waymo also announced Partnership with Modern Integrate its sixth-generation driver into an all-electric Ioniq 5 SUV, according to a blog post, “it will be added to the Waymo One Fleet over time.” The companies added that they “plan to produce one with Waymo Technology’s fleet of Ioniq 5s has been supporting Waymo One’s growing scale over the years. “Testing with these vehicles will begin at the end of 2025 and will be conducted “in the following years.”
Currently, every day riders cannot ride Waymo vehicles on highways and highways, but that may change soon. The company is testing fully autonomous driving Phoenix City Expressway,like Exclusive video Shared with CNET in May. Now, it also makes fully automatic highway rides available to Waymo employees In Los Angeles.
Waymo is also working to expand its autonomous driving technology into trucking, but said it was Reduce these efforts For the time being, focus on Waymo One riding. “Our ongoing investment drives Waymo driver capabilities, especially on highways, will be translated directly into trucks and benefit from their development efforts,” it noted.
