The Google sister company Waymo has officially launched its Robotaxi service in the US city of Phoenix. However, he was initially only available to "hundreds" of residents who had already tested the service for free in recent months. The commercial offer "Waymo One" should now cost money, to the tariffs the company made no statements.
The cars are ordered by app, similar to other driving services. Initially, a security driver should still be at the wheel and take control if necessary. Waymo is already testing robotic cars in the region without a driver at the wheel.
Prices at the level of Uber
Wayne's product director Dan Chu said, "The Verge technology blog," said Chrysler Pacifica's white minivans, converted to Robotaxis, covering an area of approximately 260 square kilometers. Waymo does not say how quickly more users and more areas of the city in the state of Arizona will be added. A reporter from "The Verge" paid about seven dollars for about three miles (about 5 km) long journey - the prices would be about at the level of such services as Uber and Lyft.
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Self-driving cars: without hands!Waymo was born out of Google's robotic car project, in which self-driving cars have been sent out onto the streets since 2009. The company is considered to be at the forefront of technology, which includes automakers, suppliers, startups and tech heavyweights such as Apple. Waymos autonomous vehicles in the neighboring state of California are allowed to drive up to 105 km / h without safety drivers.