Waymo

Waymo to Begin Trial of Robotaxis on Phoenix Highways

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Waymo is about to start testing its driverless passenger vehicles on the highway later this month, a critical milestone for the company that, if successful, will unlock expanded commercial operations. Bringing its autonomous cars to the highway is just the latest in a series of big steps for Waymo, especially in the Phoenix area. Just a few months before that, Waymo made its autonomous vehicles available in the Uber app. The GM autonomous vehicle subsidiary recently slashed a quarter of its staff and pushed out a number of executives after a crash in October where one of its robotaxis dragged a pedestrian. Last year, the company backed away from its autonomous trucking effort in order to focus more on ride-hailing.

“Phoenix Airport Now Offers Waymo’s Convenient Curbside Robotaxi Pickup Service”

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Select Waymo One riders can now get picked up or dropped off by the company’s robotaxis curbside at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport. Waymo became the first autonomous vehicle operator in the U.S. to launch a paid robotaxi service to and from the airport in November 2022. The average trip rating for its airport trips has been about 4.7 out of 5 stars, Waymo says. Waymo’s trusted testers are riders who have been vetted by the company and have signed nondisclosure agreements. “Last year, we partnered with Waymo to become the first airport in the world to offer travelers the ability to take an autonomous vehicle to the airport,” said Chad Makovsky, aviation director at Sky Harbor Airport, in a statement.