Following Phoenix and San Francisco, Waymo is bringing its “One” ride-hailing service to Los Angeles in a sizable expansion.
The company will start by mapping Downtown and Miracle Mile, Koreatown, Santa Monica, Westwood, and West Hollywood. Waymo One will “begin driving autonomously in several central districts over the coming months.”
That does not mean public availability just yet with the previous deployment involving testing programs and gradual ramp ups to a paid, public service. It wants to provide a “round-the-clock service” for “all residents of LA.” Waymo confirmed to us that the electric Jaguar I-Pace will be used.
The metro Los Angeles area is said to be “one of the largest ride-hailing service areas in the world and the third largest in the US, with an estimated market opportunity of $2 billion in 2022.” It is the “equivalent of a dozen smaller US ride-hailing market opportunities combined” as the Alphabet company works to monetize its years of R&D.
In terms of “challenging roads,” the company cited “criss-crossing freeway ramps, narrow surface streets, high numbers of unprotected left turns, blinding sunsets down its east-west roads, and distracted drivers.”
The Waymo One app is available on Android and iOS, but has yet to be updated to mention Los Angeles.
More on Waymo:
- Here’s a Waymo car self-driving in San Francisco set to lo-fi hip-hop [Video]
- Waymo AVs can play a melody instead of honking to help you find your ride
- Waymo calls on California to end ban on self-driving trucks as it partners with Wayfair
- Waymo kicks off fully driverless rides in San Francisco, for employees only initially
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