‘Waymo will start commercial use of self-driving cars in December’

Waymo will begin commercializing its self-driving cars in the United States in early December, according to Bloomberg news agency. This will be a kind of taxi service that basically has to compete with the non-self-driving services of Uber and Lyft.

Bloomberg reports that it is relying on a source familiar with Waymo’s plans. The new service would operate under a new name. According to the source, Waymo wants to keep the new name a strict secret until the official announcement. When asked, a Waymo spokesperson declined to comment on the name of the service.

The Bloomberg source did reveal some other details. For example, he said no big, flashy media event is planned to introduce the service. Also, no special app will be released for the taxi service for the time being; the idea is to start small. It is obvious that the service will initially be limited to the suburbs of the city of Phoenix, as Waymo has been testing self-driving cars there for some time. Ultimately, Waymo plans to launch the service in more urban areas in the US.

Presumably a relatively small number of riders will be allowed to use the cars, with the first customers selected from Waymo’s Early Rider Program. These are several hundred volunteers who have been taking part in tests with Waymo’s self-driving cars for some time. At the moment, according to an agreement, they are not yet allowed to say anything about their experiences, but that will probably change once the self-driving cars become commercially available.

Waymo will likely use Chrysler Pacifica minivans that have been extensively tested in Phoenix for commercial service. The company will still use backup drivers in some cars in the initial phase. This makes it easier for customers to get used to the service and to intervene in case of emergency. However, not all cars will have a backup driver; it is also the intention that the vehicles cover almost all kilometers completely autonomously.