🚖 Waymo, a self-driving company owned by Google, is now offering its Robo-taxi services to all users in select cities. The technology is expensive, but Waymo is focused on safety and iterative progress.
👩💼 Teedra has been co-CEO of Waymo since 2021, leading business operations and expansion in autonomous driving. Waymo is currently completing over 100,000 paid trips per week in cities like Phoenix, LA, San Francisco, and Austin.
📈 Waymo has received an additional $5 billion in funding from Alphabet to support its expansion. The company started as a Google self-driving car project in 2009 and has been operating a 24/7 ride-hailing service since 2018.
🚦 Waymo has completed 2 million paid rides with no fatalities. The company reports 83% fewer airbag deployments and 73% fewer injury-causing crashes compared to traditional human drivers.
🛣️ Waymo focuses on Level 4 autonomy, meaning no driver's license or human behind the wheel is required. The company is currently testing on highways with human drivers present for safety.
🔍 Waymo uses a combination of LiDAR, radar, and cameras for its autonomous vehicles, believing that all three are essential for safety and scalability.
🤝 Waymo is partnering with companies like Uber to create an autonomous vehicle ecosystem, emphasizing the importance of collaboration in the industry.
🌍 Waymo has global aspirations and is exploring opportunities in various markets, focusing on learning and adapting its technology for different environments.
❄️ The company has tested its vehicles in various weather conditions, including rain and fog, and is working on improving performance in snow and ice.
💡 Teedra emphasizes that Waymo is building the world's most trusted driver, aiming to improve road safety and expand mobility options for everyone.