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Waymo Expands Autonomous Ride-Hailing Service to All San Francisco Resident

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Waymo's autonomous ride-hailing service, Waymo One, is now available to all San Francisco residents. The company had already offered the service in Phoenix, Arizona, with no waiting. Waymo has witnessed high demand, with around 300,000 people registering for rides in San Francisco.

Waymo
CREDITS: REUTERS

This expansion follows nearly four years of a comparable launch in Phoenix, Arizona.


While the regulatory environment for driverless vehicles remains strict, automakers are betting on their commercial success. Waymo's decision to make its autonomous ride-hailing service publicly available underscores rising investor interest in this emerging technology.


Waymo first launched a test service in San Francisco in 2021, requiring an autonomous specialist to be present throughout each journey. This was part of the company's drive to improve and commercialise its self-driving technology.


Since launching a waitlist in the city, Waymo has had a strong response, with around 300,000 individuals joining up for rides. Anyone can now request a trip using the Waymo app, as all access restrictions have been lifted.


Waymo also made its service available to all Phoenix, Arizona residents in 2020, with no waitlist required. This expansion strengthened Waymo's standing as a pioneer in self-driving technology.


Based in Mountain View, California, Waymo was born as a project within Google in 2009. It took over a decade for the company to launch its first driverless taxi service in the United States in 2020.


In March of this year, Waymo received approval from the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) to introduce Waymo One in Los Angeles and several cities near San Francisco. This governmental approval has enabled Waymo to grow its operations and reach a larger client base.


Waymo competes with Cruise, backed by General Motors, and Zoox, owned by Amazon.com. These companies are also competing for success in the autonomous driving sector, which has piqued the interest of auto authorities looking at the performance of self-driving vehicles.


Last month, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration disclosed nine more events that prompted concerns about Waymo's self-driving vehicles.

 
  • Waymo's autonomous ride-hailing service, Waymo One, is now available to all residents of San Francisco.

  • The company had previously launched the service in Phoenix, Arizona, without a waitlist.

  • Waymo has seen strong demand, with approximately 300,000 people signing up for rides in San Francisco.


Source: REUTERS

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