Waymo’s commercial robo-taxi service launched December 2018 in Phoenix, became first true driverless ride-hailing service in US.
Google’s Decade of Development
Waymo (Google self-driving car project, spun out 2016 as Alphabet subsidiary) began testing 2009. By 2018, accumulated 10+ million autonomous miles - more than any competitor.
December 2018: Launched Waymo One in Phoenix suburbs (Chandler, Tempe, Mesa). Initially with safety drivers, then fully driverless 2020. Riders used app (like Uber), summoned Chrysler Pacifica minivans with no driver.
The Driverless Experience
Videos went viral: Empty driver’s seat, steering wheel moving itself, smooth navigation. Riders filming reactions - awe, nervousness, trust-building.
Service area limited: 50 square miles, avoided highways, complex intersections, construction. Waymo chose conservative approach - safety over speed/scale.
Rides: $8-20 typical trips (comparable to Uber). Wait times longer (smaller fleet). But novelty attracted early adopters, tourists, tech enthusiasts.
Safety Record
2018-2023: ZERO pedestrian fatalities, zero passenger deaths. Minor accidents (rear-ended by human drivers, hit traffic cones, confused by construction).
Waymo drove conservatively - slow, cautious, sometimes overly so. Other drivers honked, frustrated by hesitant robo-car. Safety first, speed second.
San Francisco Expansion
2020: Limited SF testing. 2021: Employees only. 2022: Paid rides in SF (with safety drivers). 2023: Fully driverless in parts of SF.
SF proved harder than Phoenix: Hills, fog, cyclists, pedestrians, complex intersections, double-parked cars, construction chaos. Waymo vans blocked bus lanes, confused by street closures.
Public Incidents
2023: SF residents complained about Waymo vans honking in parking lots (communication between cars), blocking driveways, clustering awkwardly. Videos went viral - robo-car chaos.
One incident: 10+ Waymo vans stuck in cul-de-sac, couldn’t navigate around each other. Software update fixed it, but revealed edge-case fragility.
Profitability Challenge
Waymo raised $5.5B+ but remained unprofitable. Each Lidar-equipped van cost $100-200K. Operating expenses massive. Limited service areas restricted scale.
Rides subsidized to compete with Uber/Lyft. Path to profitability unclear. 2023: Expanded to LA, Austin testing, but still tiny compared to Uber’s millions of daily rides.
The Uber Contrast
Uber/Lyft: Millions of rides daily, global, profitable (or close). Human drivers, gig economy model, fast scaling.
Waymo: Thousands of rides daily, 3 US cities, unprofitable. Fully autonomous, capital-intensive, slow scaling.
Who wins long-term? Waymo bet on leap-frogging to L4 autonomy. Uber bet on human drivers until tech ready. 2023: Uber’s model still dominated.
https://waymo.com/waymo-one/
https://blog.waymo.com
https://www.theverge.com/