Waymo starts offering driverless rides to customers in San Diego, Tampa, Florida, and Denver; Amazon's Zoox plans to start testing in Houston and San Diego (Lora Kolodny/CNBC)
Alphabet's Waymo is expanding its commercial service, and Amazon's Zoox said it plans to test in more U.S. cities, as the nascent robotaxi market gains momentum.
Waymo, the renowned self-driving technology company, is set to expand its robotaxi service to three new U.S. cities: Denver, Colorado, San Diego, California, and Tampa, Florida. The introduction of robotaxis in these cities marks an addition to the already extensive list of 14 cities where Waymo's driverless taxis are operational.
The expansion will commence in Denver, San Diego, and Tampa, gradually rolling out the service to users over time. Currently, the launch will feature dozens of vehicles, with the number increasing to hundreds as the service gains traction.
Waymo's self-driving system, the 6th generation Waymo Driver, is slated to be deployed at scale with this expansion. This deployment will add approximately 150 square miles of service territory to Waymo's coverage map, significantly broadening its reach.
In Denver and San Diego, prospective riders will have access to the Waymo Ojai, a novel, van-like electric robotaxi crafted specifically for Waymo by the Chinese manufacturer Zeekr. The Ojai boasts a spacious cabin equipped with sliding doors and two prominent LED displays, providing a comfortable and engaging experience for its passengers.
Written by urgent.news from Mashable's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
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