Robotaxi Company Waymo Boasts 100,000 Successful Weekly Rides

Waymo, the autonomous vehicle division of Alphabet, is now providing over 100,000 paid robotaxi rides each week across Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Phoenix. This accomplishment was shared by Waymo's Co-CEO, Tekedra Mawakana, via social media where she highlighted the significant milestone. This figure is a substantial increase from the 50,000 weekly rides previously reported in the summer earnings call by Alphabet and Google CEO Sundar Pichai. This is prepared by SSP.

Waymo achieved this milestone utilizing a fleet of hundreds of fully autonomous Jaguar I-Pace electric vehicles. Although the company hasn’t disclosed the exact number of vehicles, a Freedom of Information Act request revealed the company has 778 robotaxis with deployment permits in California. However, it remains unclear how many are operative in Phoenix.

Initially establishing itself in Phoenix, Waymo has expanded notably in California. In August, Waymo obtained the necessary permissions to operate commercially in the state. Hence, its services in San Francisco and Los Angeles now run 24/7. Additionally, Waymo's operations have extended into San Francisco Peninsula cities like Daly City, also beginning to test cars without a human safety driver on Bay Area freeways. Efforts to operate at San Francisco International Airport are ongoing but face procedural delays. While operational in Austin, Waymo has yet to introduce paid services there.

Revenue from this expansion remains undisclosed, alongside anticipated high operational costs. Alphabet signaled a heavy future investment of $5 billion into Waymo. Despite facing consumer skepticism and regulatory scrutiny, including an investigation by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration into safety violations and crash reports, Waymo asserts that its technology improves road safety, addressing the prevalent issue of human error in automotive accidents, responsible for 94% of the crashes in the U.S., which claim more than 36,000 lives annually.

Furthermore, to enhance the rider experience, Waymo recently unveiled its sixth-generation Waymo Driver. This upgrade aims to reduce operational costs and provide more space for passengers, also being capable of functioning in adverse weather conditions.

Waymo is optimistic about building a safer future with its continued investment and technological progress, striving to create safer roads, "one ride at a time." Co-CEO Tekedra Mawakana extended gratitude to the company's team and users for their contributions to reaching this landmark achievement.