Google’s Autonomous Vehicle Project, Now Called “Waymo,” Could Challenge Uber

Google’s self-driving car initiative has been transformed into its own independent entity known as Waymo, as announced by its CEO, John Krafcik, in a recent California gathering. This development, initiated under Alphabet Inc., Google’s parent company, affirms the widespread speculation held by tech reporters about the project’s increasing autonomy.

John Krafcik confirmed that the Waymo team had successfully conducted its inaugural fully autonomous ride on public roads last year. This feat was accomplished with a car devoid of a steering wheel or pedals, highlighting that they need not plan for a manual takes-over in case of a system failure. The team’s confidence in their autonomous technology is evidenced by the public test route in Austin being no isolated street but a road heavily frequented by everyday traffic.

“Over two million miles have been covered on public roads, and we’ve added another million,” added the new Waymo CEO, enjoying a remarkable breakthrough in the world of autonomous driving. He further emphasized, “Our simulation experience is a massive number as we’ve covered over one billion miles in simulations. We have also taken over 10,000 trips with Google employees and guests in common areas like Mountain View, Austin, and Phoenix.”

The project doesn’t end here. Waymo envisages application of this cutting-edge technology in a ride-hailing context, potentially rivalling industry giants such as Uber. “We foresee potential uses in ridesharing, transportation, trucking, logistics and even personal-use vehicles. The tech can also be licensed to automakers for public transport application and ‘last-mile’ delivery services”. This indicates that Alphabet could be considering launching its independent ride-hailing service in the future.

Bloomberg reported that Google plans on deploying a semi-autonomous version of the Chrysler Pacifica minivan, developed in collaboration with the Italian-American carmaker, as early as the end of the year for the new service. Representatives from Alphabet and Fiat Chrysler have so far refrained from commenting on this sensitive issue.

The timing of this news is interesting as Fiat-Chrysler recently announced plans to unveil an all-electric vehicle at next month’s CES electronic show. Other companies such as Uber and Volvo, even Uber’s rival, Lyft, have publicized separate partnerships. Lyft, for instance, has recently shared its ambitions of launching self-driving cars by the year 2021. Other significant players such as BMW and Ford have also shown interest in making significant strides into the self-driving sphere. On the other hand, Apple has chosen to keep its plans under wraps.

In light of these developments, it appears that Waymo could emerge as a significant contender against Uber. This comes at a time when the US government has offered its support to self-driving systems by working in collaboration with key stakeholders to develop safety regulations.