Self-driving cars are slowly becoming less dystopian and more real the way companies like it WaymoGoogle’s parent company Alphabet’s driverless division expands to more cities. Now, Waymo is adding Miami to its roster, bringing its fleet of all-electric Jaguar I-Paces to the streets there for the first time in early 2025 before finally opening to passengers in 2026. Riders will be able to access robotaxi service via the Waymo One applicationwhich is currently up and running in cities including San Francisco, Phoenix and Los Angeles.
Waymo will partner with Moove, a fintech company that offers vehicle financing, first in Phoenix, where Moove will manage the robotaxi fleet’s operations, facilities and charging infrastructure. In both Phoenix and Miami, “Waymo will continue to offer our service through the Waymo One app and will remain responsible for validating and operating Waymo Driver,” the company said in a Thursday statement. blog article.
In October, Waymo also announced it collaboration with Hyundai to introduce the next generation of its technology Ioniq 5 SUVs. In the years to come, cyclists will also be able to recall all-electric vehicles – without a driver behind the wheel – using the Waymo One app.
The self-driving tech company is no stranger to large-scale partnerships. Earlier this year, it was said to be teaming up with Uber to bring its robotaxi service to Atlanta and Austin via the Uber app. Starting in 2025, Uber will operate and dispatch Waymo’s fleet of fully autonomous, all-electric vehicles Jaguar I-Pace vehicles (which the company currently uses in other cities), so you can choose a self-drive ride when you start your trip.
Waymo currently operates fully autonomous rides for the general public in the San Francisco and Phoenix areas, as well as select members of the public in Los Angeles. The company says it provides more than 100,000 trips each week in those cities. I myself have said goodbye to several rides in San Francisco, and as daunting as it may seem at first (especially seeing a steering wheel spin on its own), I quickly adjusted to it and it soon felt like a normal ride.
That’s not to say there hasn’t been resistance as Waymo spreads to more cities. The company’s vehicles have been involved in a handful of high-profile collisions, including one with a motorcyclist in San Francisco and another with a towed pickup truck in Phoenix. (It recalled and updated its software to address the problem.) In response to concerns, Waymo says that over 14.8 million miles, its autonomous Waymo Driver technology “was up to 3.5 times better at avoiding injury-causing crashes and 2 times better at ‘avoid police-reported crashes over human drivers in San Francisco and Phoenix.’ He also released a data hub earlier this month, detailing efforts to improve road safety using its technology.
As Waymo continues to expand and develop its self-driving technology, here’s a guide on how and where to summon a robotaxi, if you’re in one of the few cities where the company currently operates its fleet.
Look at this: Testing Waymo’s safe exit feature in a self-driving taxi
Greet a ride to Phoenix
Phoenix was the first city to open fully autonomous Waymo rides to the public in 2020. To receive a ride, download the Waymo One app turned on iOS OR Android.– no waiting list necessary. The service is active 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
You can also do this as a preview of what’s to come in Austin and Atlanta use the Uber app to summon one of Waymo’s vehicles to Phoenix. When you request an UberX, Uber Green, Uber Comfort, or Uber Comfort Electric ride, you’ll have the option to confirm a Waymo ride if you’re matched.
Furthermore calling a passyou might even have your own Uber Eats meal delivered by autonomous car. When you place an order in the Phoenix area, you may receive a note that “autonomous vehicles may deliver your order.” When your Waymo car arrives, take your phone with you to open the trunk and collect your delivery. You can disable this option during checkout if you prefer a human to deliver your food.
Hailing a ride to San Francisco
San Francisco followed Phoenix’s lead and pounced fully autonomous racing in late 2022. It canceled the waiting list in June, so now anyone can simply download the Waymo One app to ride anytime. The service also operates 24 hours a day, seven days a week. There is currently no Uber partnership in San Francisco.
In August, Waymo has expanded its ride-hailing service on the San Francisco Peninsula, adding 10 square miles and venturing to Daly City, Broadmoor and Colma. It now operates across 55 square miles of the Bay Area.
Hiking a ride to Los Angeles
In November, Waymo cleared its waiting list for Los Angeles and got started welcoming all public cyclists via the Waymo One app. Now, all interested passengers can board the robotaxi 24/7 and travel almost 80 square miles of Los Angeles County, including Santa Monica, Beverly Hills and Downtown LA, with plans to expand to other areas soon.
Coming soon: Austin and Atlanta
After more than a year of test in Austin, Waymo opened rides to people on its interest list in early October. The company says it will welcome a “limited number of early riders” via the Waymo One app, before moving to the Uber app next year.
“Users will travel across 37 square miles of the city as we prepare for our commercial launch early next year, exclusively on the Uber app,” Waymo published on X.
The partnership with Uber should make self-driving rides more accessible to more people. In a September statement, Waymo co-CEO Tekedra Mawakana said, “Waymo’s mission is to be the world’s most reliable driver, and we are excited to launch this expanded network and operational partnership with Uber in Austin and Atlanta to bring the benefits of fully self-driving to more cyclists.”
As part of the partnership with Uber, Uber will handle tasks such as cleaning and repairing vehicles while “Waymo will continue to be responsible for the testing and operation of Waymo Driver, including roadside assistance and certain rider support functions,” they said. stated the companies.
In Atlanta, public riders will be able to take advantage of a driverless ride through the Uber app starting in early 2025.
Members of the public in both Austin and Atlanta can join a list of interests and get notified when it’s time to leave.
The road ahead
Miami is next on Waymo’s list, but you’ll have to wait until 2026 to get there, the company says. Was conduct meteorological tests in view of this launch, noting in a blog article“Our previous road trips in the harsh rainy conditions of the Sunshine State have been invaluable in improving our autonomous driving skills.”
In August, Waymo unveiled the sixth generation of its autonomous driving technology, which aims to expand the capabilities of its driverless fleet. Smarter sensors will help cars better navigate extreme weather conditions, Waymo said. The sixth generation Driver will arrive on board the fully electric model Zeekr vehiclewhich features a flat floor, more head and legroom, adjustable seats and removable steering wheel and pedals. The updated technology is still being tested, and the company says it will be available to cyclists soon.
In October, Waymo also announced a partnership with Hyundai to integrate its sixth-generation Driver into the Ioniq 5 all-electric SUV, which, according to a blog post, “will be added to the Waymo One fleet over time.” The companies added that they “plan to produce a fleet of Ioniq 5s equipped with Waymo technology in significant volume over multiple years to support the growing scale of Waymo One.” Testing with these vehicles will begin by the end of 2025 and will be available “in the years to follow.”
Currently, everyday cyclists can’t take a Waymo vehicle on highways and highways, but that may soon change. The company is testing fully autonomous rides highways in Phoenixas seen in an exclusive video shared with CNET in May.
Waymo is working to expand its self-driving technology into the trucking industry, but said last year that it scale back those efforts for now we will focus on ride-hailing with Waymo One. He noted, “Our continued investments in improving Waymo Driver’s capabilities, particularly on highways, will translate directly to trucking and benefit its development efforts.”
