Waymo goes public in Phoenix

Back in 2018, the Google self-driving-project-turned-Alphabet unit launched Waymo One, the world’s first public self-driving ride-hailing service. A safety driver was assigned to every vehicle, ready to take over if needed, but now Waymo is ditching the safety driver and allowing members of its Waymo One service to take family and friends along on their fully driverless rides in the Phoenix area.

Established in 2009, the Mountain View, CA-based Waymo, raised $2.25 billion back in March. The company plans to welcome more people directly into the service through its app (available on Google Play and the App Store), expecting that in the near term, 100% of its rides will be fully driverless. Waymo also plans on re-introducing rides with a trained vehicle operator, which will add capacity and allow to serve a larger geographical area.

“To our entire community: thank you for being a part of this important journey. And to all the Waymonauts who’ve worked so hard getting us here: thanks for your dedication to our mission. Together, we’re building a safe and more accessible future with every autonomous mile we drive.” – Waymo.