Latest news with #WaymoOne
India Today
09-07-2025
- Automotive
- India Today
Google Waymo will let teens ride solo, betting parents trust its robotaxis
Waymo is expanding its autonomous vehicle service by introducing teen accounts in Phoenix, allowing teenagers aged 14-17 to ride independently in its robotaxis. The move marks a significant shift in Waymo's service offerings, as previously, unaccompanied minors under 18 were not permitted to use its services. The company believes that parents will trust its technology to safely transport their children alone, despite the existing terms of service that bar unaccompanied minors. This new initiative is a strategic bet by Waymo to gain the trust of families in the Phoenix area. advertisementMuch like Uber's earlier decision to allow teenagers to use its service independently, Waymo's teen accounts come equipped with several safeguards. Parents can invite their teenagers to join the programme via their own Waymo One account, ensuring both accounts are linked. Teens are also able to share their real-time location with their parents during rides, and "specially trained" remote operators are on standby to assist during the trips. This layered approach aims to provide peace of mind to parents, allowing them to monitor and ensure the safety of their children while they utilise Waymo's services. The service, which has been in testing for months, is now being rolled out across Phoenix, although plans for expansion to other markets remain timing could prove advantageous given the current trends in teen transportation habits. Studies have indicated a decline in the number of teenagers obtaining driver's licences, with many opting for alternatives like public transport, ride-hailing services such as Uber and Lyft, or other shared mobility options. This generational shift is something Waymo is keen to tap into, as parents increasingly look for convenient and reliable transport solutions for their teenagers. However, the risks involved remain pertinent. Waymo's vehicles occasionally struggle with certain traffic patterns and have been involved in minor accidents. Despite this, the company argues that its autonomous cars perform better in avoiding crashes than human drivers, underscoring the importance of its remote operators in ensuring safety for younger passengers. The rollout of teen accounts follows earlier reports by security researcher Jane Manchun Wong, who highlighted Waymo's experiments with this feature. Wong's findings, which also uncovered Waymo's "tipping" donation feature, were part of a broader discovery of Waymo's plans. Last year, Waymo conducted a survey to determine customer preferences for teen accounts, highlighting benefits such as the absence of strangers in vehicles, reduced risk of distracted driving, and flexible scheduling. Although there were suggestions for aesthetic upgrades like snacks or karaoke within the cars, these features did not make it into the final product. Waymo's introduction of teen accounts is a clear indication of the company's ambition to broaden its customer base and adapt to modern transportation needs. By offering a service tailored to teenagers and their parents, Waymo is aligning itself with contemporary transport trends and addressing the growing demand for flexible, safe, and parent-supervised travel options. As the service becomes more established in Phoenix, it could set a precedent for similar features in other Waymo markets, depending on its success and acceptance among local families.- Ends
The Verge
08-07-2025
- Automotive
- The Verge
Waymo introduces teen accounts for the first time in Phoenix
Waymo is opening up its robotaxi service to younger riders with the launch of teen accounts in Phoenix. Teenagers aged 14–17 can now sign up for an account on Waymo One, the company's ridehail service. The account will be linked to their parent or guardian, but approved teens will be allowed to ride independently without an adult. Waymo's current terms of service bar unaccompanied minors under 18 from using its robotaxis — even though some parents in San Francisco have already been sending their kids to ride solo in Waymos for some time. It's a big bet by the company that parents will trust its driverless cars enough to send their children alone to ride in them. In some ways, the move mirrors Uber's decision a few years ago to allow teens to start using its service without their parents. As such, there are a number of safeguards in place to allow parents to keep track of their children. Adult customers can use their own Waymo One account to invite their teen into the program, pairing their accounts together. Teens can also share their real-time location with their parents while they're riding. And 'specially trained' remote operators will be available to assist during the rides — and may even loop in the teen's parents if necessary. Waymo has been testing teen accounts with a select group of riders for months now, and is now rolling it out to the broader Phoenix area. The company didn't say if or when it plans on rolling out the service in its other markets. Security researcher and tech sleuth Jane Manchun Wong was the first to report on Waymo's experimentations, posting a screenshot of a teen account landing page back in March. (Wong was also the first to report Waymo's 'tipping' donation feature, and its idea to use footage from its interior cameras to train generative AI.) The company also sent out a survey last year asking its customers what they would want from teen accounts. The survey noted a number of advantages, including no strangers in the vehicles, no distracted driving, and flexible scheduling. Waymo also mentioned a number of aesthetic upgrades, like snacks, karaoke, or teen-styled graphics — though none of those suggestions seem to have made through to the final product. Waymo provided a number of supportive quotes from its teen riders who have been testing the service. And with the share of teenagers with driver's licenses dropping, Waymo's timing could be particularly ripe. Gen Z is more likely to ride public transit, use Uber or Lyft, or hop on an e-bike or shared scooter than drive a car, recent studies have shown. And parents, increasingly stressed out by all their kids' obligations, are looking for an extra hand in transportation. Of course, the risks are also present. Waymo still struggles occasionally with certain traffic patterns, and its vehicles do sometimes get in minor fender benders. The company says the data proves that its self-driving cars are better at avoiding crashes and injuries than human drivers. But younger riders could be less adept at navigating certain situations than adults — which makes its remote operators even more important.
Miami Herald
02-07-2025
- Automotive
- Miami Herald
Tesla has late start in a crucial race for its future
Robotaxis are coming to a city street near you, whether you like it or not. According to recent surveys, the majority of Americans are not very fond of autonomous 4,000-pound vehicles ambling down their streets. "Consumers are skeptical of the full self-driving (FSD) technology that undergirds the robotaxi proposition, with 60% considering Tesla's full self-driving 'unsafe,' 77% unwilling to utilize full self-driving technology, and a substantial share (48%) believing full self-driving should be illegal," according to the May 2025 edition of the Electric Vehicle Intelligence Report (EVIR). Related: Tesla makes surprising admission about its robotaxi But not every robotaxi is operated by Tesla. Even though it's the most high-profile robotaxi operator, Tesla is actually late to the autonomous-driving party. There are companies, both in America and abroad, with millions of miles and thousands of hours under their belts. When Ford CEO Jim Farley recently said that U.S. tech companies passed on becoming carmakers, he was not technically correct. While they don't plan to enter the industry in a way that would be threatening to a company like Ford, Alphabet's (GOOGL) Waymo is the Silicon Valley giant's biggest bite at the apple. Waymo One users register over a quarter of a million paid weekly trips across Phoenix, San Francisco, Los Angeles, and Austin, with plans to expand to Atlanta, Miami, and Washington, D.C., in 2026. Waymo's current fleet features over 1,500 vehicles spread across its four current host cities, but by next year, it expects to more than double its fleet with more than 2,000 new additions. The company is relying on a new, 239,000-square-foot factory outside Phoenix in Mesa, Arizona, to integrate thousands of Jaguar I-PACE vehicles with Waymo's fully autonomous technology. The factory is a joint venture between Waymo and mobile tech company Magna International. Image source: Smith Collection/Gado/Getty Images Amazon acquired the autonomous vehicle company Zoox in 2020. And for over a decade, Zoox has been building an autonomous vehicle designed to stand out from others on the road. There's a reason the rectangular glass-paneled Zoox robotaxi looks so weird. Besides the vehicles' lack of steering wheels, perhaps the most interesting Zoox feature is its two-engine design. Zoox calls its vehicles bidirectional, meaning there is no forward or reverse, because both directions are forward. The two motors at different ends of the car allow it to drive forward in two directions. Unlike Tesla (TSLA) , which has said it doesn't use the technology because it's too expensive, both Waymo and Zoox utilize light detection and ranging (LiDAR) to navigate traffic autonomously. Related: Elon Musk's robotaxi has a serious problem LiDAR uses lasers to measure distances and create highly detailed 3D models of its surroundings. Zoox uses this tech, along with cameras, radar, long-wave infrared sensors, and microphones, to map the traffic around it. Morgan Stanley says Zoox is still a couple of years behind Waymo, as Waymo is already in more than five cities, while Zoox is still in just two. But Morgan Stanley sees the company taking a similar route as its more established rival as production ramps up for the company. Currently, Zoox has only a few dozen purpose-built robotaxis on the road, and the Hayward facility produces only one vehicle per day. Still, the firm expects that number to increase exponentially as it expands to more cities. Zoox has over one million miles driven in company. Morgan Stanley expects Zoox to launch in Las Vegas and San Francisco by the end of the year. Tesla robotaxi launched in Austin, Texas, in late June, to much fanfare. Tesla has just 10 robotaxis on the street in Austin. It also has ambitions to expand to different locales, but its debut has gotten off to a rocky start. Multiple videos have appeared on social media showing the vehicles failing to achieve the basic road competence of a student driver. Tesla Robotaxi may not have the miles under its belt that its competition does, but it does have a scale advantage. Earlier this year, Tesla said that its FSD system has driven a cumulative total of 3.6 billion miles, nearly triple the 1.3 billion cumulative miles it reported a year ago. Related: Latest Waymo setback raises serious questions about its future The Arena Media Brands, LLC THESTREET is a registered trademark of TheStreet, Inc.
Business Insider
25-06-2025
- Automotive
- Business Insider
Tesla Needs to Play Catch-Up as Uber, Waymo Expand Their Robotaxi Networks
Billionaire Elon Musk 's Tesla (TSLA) needs to play catch-up in the robotaxi market as rivals Uber (UBER) and Alphabet's (GOOGL) Waymo continue expanding their networks across the U.S. Yesterday, Uber and Waymo launched their autonomous ride-hailing service in Atlanta, adding another city to their roster. Uber stock surged 7.5% on the news, while rival Tesla stock fell 2.4%. Confident Investing Starts Here: Uber has partnered with Waymo to offer autonomous rides in Atlanta. It is worth noting here that Uber does not operate its own fleet of autonomous vehicles (AVs) but has partnered with Waymo to offer autonomous rides in other cities as well. Passengers can choose between an autonomous ride or a person-driven ride in Atlanta with a single click. The service is currently available in limited areas. Tesla Rivals Are Expanding Their Footprint Tesla rolled out its robotaxi service in Austin, Texas, on Sunday, June 22. The company is facing initial hiccups as any other launch. The company's fully autonomous Model Y taxis were seen driving the wrong lane, speeding, and braking hard in videos posted on social media. This has caught the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's (NHTSA) attention, which is investigating the matter. Meanwhile, the Uber-Waymo collaboration already has about 100 autonomous vehicles offering ride-hailing services on Uber's platform in Austin. There have been no complaints since its launch in March. Additionally, Waymo independently offers autonomous ride-hailing services in San Francisco and Los Angeles through its Waymo One app. Currently, Waymo operates a total of 1,500 AVs in the U.S. Autonomous Ride-Hailing Market Is Getting Crowded Tesla also faces competition from China's Baidu (BIDU) Apollo Go and WeRide (WRD), and will compete with Amazon's (AMZN) Zoox in the U.S. once Zoox launches services in Las Vegas and San Francisco. Although Tesla was once hailed as the autonomous leader, the company has been slow to launch its robotaxi services. Its Full Self-Driving (FSD) technology is also being probed by regulators for accidents that occurred during periods of reduced visibility, including a fatal crash in 2023. The coming months will be crucial as Tesla works to refine its technology and expand its robotaxi services in an increasingly crowded market. What Is the Price Target for TSLA Stock? On TipRanks, the average Tesla price target of $348.39 implies 2.3% upside potential from current levels. Also, analysts have a Moderate Buy consensus rating based on nine Buys, six Holds, and one Sell rating. Year-to-date, TSLA stock has lost 15.7%.
CNBC
24-06-2025
- Automotive
- CNBC
Uber, Waymo robotaxi service opens to passengers in Atlanta
Uber and Alphabet's Waymo are now offering robotaxi rides to the public in Atlanta, as the companies continue expansion of their partnership. The Waymo robotaxis available through the Uber app will cover approximately 65 square miles around Atlanta, but will not yet travel on highways or to the airport. The vehicles feature Waymo's driverless technology, known as the Waymo Driver, integrated into battery electric Jaguar I-PACE SUVs. The companies said in September that they would be jointly bringing Waymo One to Austin, Texas, and to Atlanta. Rides became available in Austin in March, launching in the Texas capital before Elon Musk's Tesla got its robotaxi service off the ground. Tesla, which is now headquartered in Austin, debuted a pilot robotaxi service there over the weekend for invitees only. Tesla's robotaxis are Model Y SUVs equipped with the company's latest driverless technology. The Tesla robotaxis operate in daytime hours only in a geofenced area of Austin, and include a human valet who rides in the front passenger seat to ensure safety. Waymo robotaxis in Austin, Atlanta and elsewhere operate without any human supervisor on board. They also employ sophisticated lidar and radar sensors that are not used in Tesla's vehicles today. Once viewed as a driverless pioneer, Tesla is now fighting to catch up with Waymo, as well as competitors in China including Baidu's Apollo Go, and WeRide, which also partners with Uber. In Atlanta and Austin, Waymo rides are only available through Uber's app, while in San Francisco and Los Angeles, passengers book through the Waymo One app. The Waymo-Uber partnership only covers passenger rides, not Uber Eats deliveries.
