Waymo will launch a 24-hour robotaxi service in Los Angeles as it accelerates towards a commercial launch.
According to its website, the Alphabet-owned ride-sharing giant currently offers fully self-driving rides to the public in the Phoenix East Valley. Additionally, the company tested its Waymo One service in downtown Phoenix and San Francisco.
“When we think of our next cities, Los Angeles jumps out at us,” Waymo co-CEO Tekedra Mawakana said in a blog post on Wednesday. “LA is a remarkable and dynamic place – and Waymo’s experience puts us in the best position to deal with its driving complexity. We work closely with Angelenos to ensure we meet the transportation needs and priorities of their communities as we bring the Waymo Driver to LA.”
According to Waymo, the Los Angeles metropolitan area is the third largest ridesharing service area in the United States, with approximately 13 million residents and an estimated $2 billion market opportunity in 2022.
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A spokesperson for the ride-sharing giant owned by Alphabet told FOX Business that the company is deploying about a dozen vehicles across the city to map notable neighborhoods in Los Angeles, including Downtown, Miracle Mile, Koreatown, Santa Monica, Westwood and West Hollywood.
However, a specific timeline for the official launch of Waymo’s commercial service has not been disclosed.
“We will take the coming months to continue to gather lessons from our operations and refine the Waymo Driver in the city, and follow our playbook that we have developed over several past entries into the city,” said the spokesperson. “We will accelerate responsibly and with safety in mind every step of the way.”
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In September 2021, Waymo received an Autonomous Vehicle Deployment Permit from the California Department of Motor Vehicles, allowing it to charge fees and receive compensation for autonomous services offered to the public.
Under the permit, Waymo can travel on public roads in parts of San Francisco and San Mateo counties at a maximum speed of 65 miles per hour. It can also work in rainy and light fog conditions. The company has been licensed by the state to test its vehicles with a safety driver since 2014 and received a driverless test permit in October 2018.
In February, the California Public Utilities Commission granted Waymo a “driver deployment permit,” authorizing the company to operate its self-driving vehicle service with a security driver present and collect fares from passengers. The company is awaiting permission to operate without a safety driver.
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In March 2020, Waymo raised $2.25 billion in its first round of external financing, which was later revised to $3.2 billion at the end of June 2020. It proceeded to raise an additional $2.5 billion in the capital during a second round in June 2021.
Waymo competitors include Cruise supported by General Motors and Motional backed by Hyundai. Tesla is also developing a proposed robotaxi service, although its chief executive Elon Musk said in August that there was no specific launch city in mind.
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