Waymo Launches Robotaxi Service in Downtown Phoenix and Got Permit to Charge Fees in San Francisco
Waymo had not one but two announcements this week: the first was that the company, which has been operating a driverless robotaxi service in Chandler, a suburb of Phoenix in Arizona, since 2018, is now officially offering it to the people of Phoenix itself.
Joel Johnson, a videography student who has spent the last few years documenting hundreds of such rides via video in a driverless Waymo as a backseat passenger, had received the honor from Waymo to make the announcement.
The robotaxi service itself – unlike Chandler’s – will not be done with Fiat Chrysler minivans, but with the all-electric Jaguar iPace.
The second announcement was that Waym in San Francisco will now be allowed to charge trucking fees in addition to the driverless license the company has had since last year. The California Public Utility Commission CPUC, which has jurisdiction over cab and delivery service regulations, approved it. However, so far only for deliveries, not yet for passengers.
Robotaxi service area for Waymo in San Francisco
Die Service Area von Waymo in San Francisco deckt übrigens die oben gezeigte Fläche ab, im Vergleich dazu die bislang und ab November geltenden Service Areas für Cruise im unteren Bild.
Old and new service area for Cruise robotaxis in San Francisco
This article was also published in German.
