With a large, tried-and-tested fleet of robotaxis operating in several major US cities, Waymo could, in the future, start selling fully autonomous vehicles and, in so doing, take the wind out of Tesla's sails.
According to The Verge, Sundar Pichai, CEO of Alphabet, Waymo's parent company, mentioned during a recent conference call the possibility that the company might one day sell its own self-driving car models to private individuals or professionals. This is not a new idea, as Waymo had already collaborated with Chrysler in 2018 to produce autonomous minivans for private customers, a project that ultimately did not come to fruition.
Since then, Waymo has established numerous partnerships with several automakers, including Jaguar Land Rover, Hyundai and even China's Geely, via its Zeekr brand, to design fully autonomous cabs without steering wheels or pedals. Previously reserved for its Waymo One mobility service, these vehicles could, in the not-too-distant future, also be offered for sale. However, this will only be possible if regulatory and market conditions are favorable to Waymo.
Tesla has also set itself the challenge of mass-producing fully autonomous cars with its Cybercab project, which is expected to launch in 2026 at a price of around US$30,000. Unlike Waymo, which uses a combination of sensors, cameras and LiDAR (laser pulse remote sensing) to achieve safe autonomous driving, Tesla's approach is based solely on camera vision combined with artificial intelligence.
In the meantime, Waymo is focusing on on-demand mobility services, with its robot cab service operating in several US cities, including San Francisco, Phoenix, Los Angeles, Austin and soon Miami and Atlanta. Indeed, Waymo claims to operate some 250,000 weekly rides in the country. The firm's next stop is New York, where the city authorities have given the go-ahead for the first autonomous cabs to be deployed, but only under certain conditions – starting with the presence of an emergency driver on board. – AFP Relaxnews
