The article discusses Waymo’s progress in developing fully autonomous vehicles, also known as robot taxis or driverless cars, and how it is outpacing Tesla’s ambitions in this field. Waymo, a subsidiary of Alphabet (Google’s parent company), has been testing its self-driving technology for over a decade and has already launched a commercial robotaxi service in parts of Phoenix, Arizona. The company plans to expand its driverless ride-hailing service to other cities, including San Francisco, in the coming years. In contrast, Tesla’s CEO Elon Musk has made bold claims about launching a robotaxi service by 2024, but the company’s self-driving technology, known as Full Self-Driving (FSD), is still in development and faces regulatory hurdles. The article highlights Waymo’s extensive testing and data collection efforts, as well as its partnerships with automakers like Jaguar Land Rover and Volvo, as key factors in its lead over Tesla. It also discusses the potential impact of widespread adoption of driverless cars on various industries and urban transportation.
Source: https://www.businessinsider.com/waymo-robot-taxis-driverless-cars-ai-tesla-robotaxi-2024-8