Waymo’s Driverless Robotaxi Fleet Is Making 50,000 Trips Per Week — Here’s Where the Cars Are Headed Next
The driverless cars are currently in three cities and booking an average of five trips a minute.
Key Takeaways
- Waymo, the autonomous driving company, recently announced that it has completed more than a million rider-only trips and carries out 50,000 robotaxi rides per week.
- The company is currently operating in three major cities with a fourth on the way later this year.
Hailing a Waymo taxi means getting into a car with no driver — and according to new numbers released by the company last week, more and more people are willing to do it.
Alphabet-owned Waymo is carrying out over 50,000 paid robotaxi rides per week in three U.S. cities with its all-electric, autonomous fleet, the company .
Waymo also publicized that it has successfully completed rider-only trips.
Inside a self-driving Waymo car. Photo by JASON HENRY/AFP via Getty Images
Waymo’s robotaxi bookings are concentrated in three major cities: , , and . The app, which functions just like Lyft or Uber except for the car that shows up without a human driver, works around the clock in certain areas of those cities.
The cost of a Waymo ride in Los Angeles, per , was around $7.61 for a 2.1-mile, 14-minute trip. Waymo told California regulators that its San Francisco fleet numbered 250 vehicles, but has not stated how many cars it has in its entire operation.
“Fully autonomous ride-hailing is a reality and a preferred mobility option for people navigating their cities every day,” Waymo said in a on X, formerly Twitter.
In March, at SXSW today in Austin, Texas, Waymo co-CEO, that the Waymo One would be available in Austin “later this year.”
Related: Traffic Jam Caused by Self-Driving Cars in San Francisco Sparks Outcry and Safety Concerns
Waymo’s robotaxis drive themselves and are fully electric, but they aren’t without their complications. Waymo disclosed and corrected a software issue across its entire fleet two months ago. In February, Waymo that two of its robotaxis “made contact” with a pickup truck that the company stated was being “improperly towed” in front of them.
The robotaxis incorrectly predicted where the towed vehicle would be, resulting in the accident. They were not carrying any passengers and only had minor damage.
Waymo updated the software of its entire fleet to correct the issue.
Last month, six Waymo vehicles in San Francisco and in February, one , resulting in minor injuries.
The company maintains that its robotaxis are than human-driven vehicles, and has released supporting its claims.
Related: Elon Musk Reveals When Tesla Will Release Its First Robotaxi
Other robotaxi companies have faced accidents, too. Amazon-backed Zoox is beginning Monday after its self-driving cars two separate times, causing rear-end collisions.
A robotaxi from G.M.’s Cruise was involved in an with a pedestrian in October, resulting in the California DMV Cruise’s robotaxi permit.
Tesla will show off its first robotaxi soon: CEO Elon Musk that the Tesla Robotaxi unveil will happen on August 8.
Key Takeaways
- Waymo, the autonomous driving company, recently announced that it has completed more than a million rider-only trips and carries out 50,000 robotaxi rides per week.
- The company is currently operating in three major cities with a fourth on the way later this year.
Hailing a Waymo taxi means getting into a car with no driver — and according to new numbers released by the company last week, more and more people are willing to do it.
Alphabet-owned Waymo is carrying out over 50,000 paid robotaxi rides per week in three U.S. cities with its all-electric, autonomous fleet, the company .
Waymo also publicized that it has successfully completed rider-only trips.
