With driverless car services already operating in Phoenix and San Francisco, Waymo says Los Angeles is next on its list.
Driverless car company Waymo already operates autonomous taxi fleets in Phoenix and San Francisco. On deck: Los Angeles.
The company, owned by Google parent Alphabet, said Wednesday that it plans to make L.A. its next market. “L.A. is in the top three ride-hailing markets in the United States and globally,” said Saswat Panigrahi, the company’s chief product officer. “The commercial opportunity is huge.” But Waymo offered scant information about its plans, including when the commercial service will begin and how extensive the service’s coverage will be.
The company has been mapping Los Angeles using human drivers since 2019. Next, a spokesman said, trained drivers will test out Waymo’s robot taxi service on L.A.-area highways and neighborhood thoroughfares, with runs downtown, along the Miracle Mile and in Koreatown, Santa Monica and West Hollywood.