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‘The company aims for robotaxis to achieve initial success.’
Waymo, the autonomous driving technology company owned by Alphabet, has announced that it will be scaling back its driverless trucking efforts in order to focus on its One ride-hailing service. The decision comes as Waymo seeks to make its self-driving taxis a commercial success. Co-CEOs Dmitri Dolgov and Tekedra Mawakana stated that there is “tremendous momentum” in Waymo One and that the new strategy will help capitalize on this trend.
The company justified this shift in focus by highlighting the “significant” growth in demand for its robotaxis in Los Angeles, Phoenix, and San Francisco. Waymo also noted the rapid advancements made to its AI system, Driver, which is responsible for handling its autonomous cars. The shift towards Waymo One will indirectly benefit trucking as the company continues to collaborate with Daimler on self-driving semi trucks.
Waymo began testing autonomous big rig trucks in 2017 and expanded its efforts in 2019 and 2020 with the launch of its Via cargo transportation division. While Waymo garnered attention from major partners such as UPS and former rival Uber Freight, Waymo One emerged as the star and attracted the most interest. In fact, Uber plans to offer Waymo rides and deliveries in Phoenix later this year.
However, Waymo’s transition to prioritize Waymo One is not without challenges. The company continues to face opposition from officials who express concerns about safety issues related to driverless cars. Instances of blocked traffic and interference with first responder vehicles have prompted calls for regulatory limitations on the operation of robotaxis.