Waymo Partners with Avis to Launch Robotaxi Service in Dallas
Get ready, Dallas! Waymo, the self-driving car company owned by Alphabet (Google's parent company), is planning to launch its robotaxi service in your city next year. It's another step forward as Waymo continues to expand its reach, following in the footsteps of Los Angeles and San Francisco. What's particularly interesting this time is their partnership with Avis Budget Group, the rental car giant.
So, how will this work? Avis will be responsible for the nitty-gritty details of managing Waymo's fleet of all-electric Jaguar I-Pace vehicles. This includes things like charging the cars, performing maintenance, and handling general depot operations. For you and me, the experience will be simple: just hail a robotaxi through the Waymo app. It's like calling a regular rideshare, but without a driver.
This isn't Waymo's first rodeo when it comes to partnerships. They've previously worked with Uber in Austin and Atlanta, and Moove in Phoenix. However, the Avis partnership is unique. It's the first time a rental car company has taken on the role of managing Waymo's fleet. I think that this partnership will be key to a fast expansion of the company. It’s a move that could signal a new trend in the autonomous vehicle industry.
According to Waymo spokesperson Chris Bonelli, Avis will play a vital role in helping the company scale its technology to new markets more quickly and cost-effectively. The plan is for Waymo and Avis Budget Group to expand their collaboration to even more cities in the future. Waymo has been preparing for this launch for a while. Earlier this year, they sent their sensor-laden vehicles to Dallas to map the city and conduct initial testing.
Currently, Waymo operates commercially in five cities: Austin, Atlanta, Los Angeles, Phoenix, and the San Francisco Bay Area. Besides Dallas, they also plan to launch their robotaxi service in Washington, D.C., and Miami next year. While Bonelli didn't provide specific launch dates or the number of vehicles in the initial Dallas fleet, he did say that Waymo plans to scale the fleet with Avis to hundreds of vehicles over time. Hundreds of self-driving cars! Can you imagine that?
Brian Choi, CEO of Avis Budget Group, sees this partnership as a "pivotal milestone" in the company's evolution. They're transitioning from a rental car company to a broader provider of fleet management, infrastructure, and operations within the mobility ecosystem. It's a smart move, adapting to the changing landscape of transportation.
I believe that we are witnessing the future of transportation unfolding before our eyes. Autonomous vehicles are no longer a distant dream; they are becoming a reality. And with companies like Waymo and Avis working together, the path to widespread adoption is becoming clearer.
Source: TechCrunch