Waymo eyes traffic-choked Los Angeles for its next robotaxi service
by Andrew J. Hawkins from The Verge - All Posts on (#64X9A)
Waymo will launch its next robotaxi service in Los Angeles, but it won't say when. | Waymo
Waymo is bringing its Waymo One robotaxi service to Los Angeles, a city of endless freeways, legendary traffic jams, and many pressing transportation needs that are unlikely to be addressed by adding more cars.
Waymo currently operates robotaxis in two cities: Phoenix and San Francisco. The company is one of a handful trying to launch a widescale commercial service built around autonomous vehicles, like Amazon's Zoox, Argo AI (which is backed by Ford and Volkswagen), and Cruise (which is backed by General Motors and Honda).
LA isn't uncharted territory for Waymo; the company has been mapping the city's various neighborhoods, including downtown LA and the Miracle Mile, since 2019 - though it says it has yet to drive autonomously in the...