Waymo Will Bring Robotaxi Operations to Los Angeles

Google announced on Wednesday, Oct. 19 that it will bring Waymo, the autonomous ride-hailing service, to Los Angeles, California.

The company did not disclose the timeline of its robotaxi operations to LA. It only says LA is next in line.

More Complex Than Phoenix And San Francisco

Considering that it is more complex to navigate LA than Phoenix and San Francisco, the announcement of robotaxis hitting LA roads and navigating the traffic is something to look forward to, reports Electrek.

LA people should start imagining Waymo's flashy but gadget-heavy autonomous cars on the roads whenever feasible.

Feasible?

Waymo, a division of Google's Alphabet, has been operating a fleet of driverless electric vehicles in Phoenix, Arizona. Some of Waymo's employees have tested running the vehicles in San Francisco.

It remains to be seen if it is feasible to offer the services of robotaxis in LA, reports Mashable.

Driverless, these vehicles operate solely on sensors. They are effective in Phoenix with no predefined pickups or NDAs with its rider using the Waymo One app.

The company is reportedly looking for testers to help test the usefulness of the ride-hailing robotaxi in LA.

Waymo's First Area

Waymo found a home in Phoenix with its wide and flat streets. Its streets do not have heavy traffic unlike in LA and other major California cities.

Waymo struggled when it brought the robotaxi to San Francisco. While driving in the streets in San Francisco is challenging, the company has managed to map out the streets in advance to make it easier for the vehicles to navigate.

In Phoenix, Waymo's area of coverage was only a hundred square miles. San Francisco's coverage was even smaller as the city has 49 square miles only. But LA is another story.

Nondisclosure Agreements, Limitations

Waymo required all the users in the Phoenix area to sign nondisclosure agreements, reports Futurism.

And riding the robotaxi is not as easy as people may think. Riders are required to have small service areas such as the suburbs of Tempe, Chandler, Gilbert, and Mesa as the point where they start and end their rides.

The tiny area of Phoenix, which had also served as the laboratory of Waymo's cars, started the ride-hailing robotaxi program in 2016.

'Round-the-Clock Service'

In its press release, Waymo assured the public it would deploy a 'round-the-clock service."

The company promised all LA residents that reliable and accessible mobility has come to their city. Waymo said the ride-hailing robotaxi could bring them to where they should go.

Waymo's announcement was considered bold in a city where navigating its busy streets to the point of choking is something the LA residents may find it hard to trust driverless cars.

Waymo's driverless cars are definitely not the first in LA. Prior to Waymo's announcement, Motional, a competitor in the driverless car industry, had already performed driverless food delivery in Santa Monica in May, according to Motional.

Bit-by-Bit

It is likely that Waymo will roll out its driverless taxi bit by bit because the company has to slowly adjust the technology to the road conditions in the city. Waymo, however, appeared to be very confident it could overcome the LA challenge.

The things the company learned for over 12 years have prepared Waymo to serve LA residents, the company said.