Waymo's Self-Driving Taxis Prepare for Initial International Trials in Tokyo
Waymo's Self-Driving Taxis Prepare for Initial International Trials in Tokyo
Waymo, the leading U.S. autonomous taxi firm, is aiming to broaden its operations globally. It's set to commence its initial international trials in Tokyo early next year, while simultaneously expanding its services to additional U.S. cities.
The Alphabet Inc. offshoot will dispatch a group of electric Jaguar I-Pace SUVs to Japan at the beginning of 2023 for mapping purposes within Tokyo's busiest urban areas. To support this venture, Waymo has teamed up with Nihon Kotsu, Japan's foremost taxi operator, and GO, a prominent taxi app provider. Waymo has yet to provide a timeline for when it expects its driverless vehicles to launch commercially.
This announcement follows Waymo's plans to introduce its ride service in Miami, alongside Austin and Atlanta in 2025. At present, it's available in Phoenix, San Francisco, and Los Angeles, where it arrays over 150,000 riders on a weekly basis. Alas, the company chooses not to disclose financial details regarding this service, though its annual revenue is estimated to surpass $150 million, considering the weekly ridership rate.
Last week, General Motors decided to terminate Cruise, its rival autonomous taxi service, and instead concentrate its autonomous technology efforts on personal vehicles. Meanwhile, Elon Musk's Tesla aims to spearhead the robotaxi field, with this ambition bolstering its share value after Trump's electoral triumph. However, Tesla has not yet showcased its capacity to achieve this objective.
The Autopilot and Full Self-Driving features available in Tesla vehicles can be classified as advanced driver-assist technologies, which necessitate human intervention. In contrast, Waymo's robotaxis operate autonomously, although the company employs staff to remotely monitor them and offer assistance on occasion.
Back in November, Waymo announced that it had amassed $5.6 billion in funding for its biggest-ever investment round, before embarking on an extensive expansion phase. Moreover, it intends to procure electric vehicles from Hyundai starting from the following year, with these vehicles costing approximately 40% less than the I-Pace models it currently uses. Additionally, Waymo is transitioning towards lower-cost computing and sensor hardware to reduce expenses.
Waymo's partnership with Nihon Kotsu and GO in Tokyo will involve the use of 'electric vehicles', specifically a group of Jaguar I-Pace SUVs for mapping purposes. This initiative marks Waymo's entry into the 'japan' market, as it aims to test its 'robotaxi' service in Tokyo's busiest urban areas in 2023. Further, Waymo's self-driving vehicles, although autonomous, have staff available for remote monitoring and assistance.