Waymo Launches Commercial Self-Driving Service With Human Supervisors
Waymo officially introduces Waymo One, a commercial ride-hailing service for its early rider program members. The service initially includes trained human supervisors behind the wheel as the company continues to refine its fully autonomous technology.
Waymo officially launches Waymo One, a commercial self-driving service that builds on a decade of autonomous vehicle research. The company initially offers this ride-hailing service to hundreds of participants in its early rider program who have already provided valuable feedback on the technology. These early riders regularly use the self-driving cars for everyday tasks like commuting, running errands, and attending social events.
The new commercial service incorporates lessons learned from the early rider program, featuring streamlined pickups and improved customer support. Although Waymo already tests fully driverless vehicles with select users, Waymo One vehicles currently include trained human supervisors for safety. The company plans to gradually remove these drivers as the technology proves its reliability on public roads.
Waymo views this launch as a major milestone in its mission to make roads safer and easier to navigate for everyone. The early rider program continues alongside Waymo One to test new features before they reach the commercial platform. Over time, Waymo aims to expand the service to more people and locations as it adds vehicles to its fleet.