Waymo launches driverless car service in San Antonio
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A Waymo Jaguar SUV parked outside City Hall. Photo: Madalyn Mendoza/Axios
Driverless rides have arrived in San Antonio, starting with a limited rollout.
Why it matters: Waymo's debut turns futuristic tech into a commuting option, moving the technology past its testing phase and into daily life.
By the numbers: The initial fleet includes "dozens" of Jaguar I-PACE SUVs, with plans to grow to "hundreds" over time, Waymo spokesperson Chris Bonelli tells Axios.
- The roughly 60-square-mile service area covers downtown and nearby neighborhoods, including Pearl, Southtown, Alamo Heights and Government Hill.
State of play: For now, vehicles won't operate on highways, and rides to San Antonio International Airport aren't available yet.
- Fares will be "comparable" to Uber and Lyft, Bonelli says.
- Because there's no driver, riders won't tip. And without drivers, Waymo doesn't offer bonuses or incentives that can cause price swings on other ride-hailing apps.
How it works: Riders request a car through the Waymo app. It also allows them to choose a pickup point and unlock the vehicle when it arrives.
- A spinning rooftop light displays the passenger's initials. The app can also unlock the hatchback.
- Inside, riders can adjust the temperature, play music and watch a live map showing nearby vehicles, cyclists and pedestrians as the car navigates.
- Waymo's system combines machine learning with lidar, radar and camera sensors to continuously scan its surroundings.
Between the lines: San Antonio does not maintain a public incident dashboard for autonomous cars, but the Texas Department of Transportation operates a crash database that includes autonomous vehicle reporting.
Zoom out: Waymo partnered with Vibrant Works, a nonprofit serving people who are blind or visually impaired, to improve accessibility.
- "As a person who is blind, the sense of independence and freedom I felt was unlike any other form of transportation. ... It provided a level of autonomy that I've never experienced before," Jose Martinez, digital accessibility specialist at Vibrant Works, said in a statement.
What's next: Select riders who've downloaded the Waymo app will receive invitations starting Tuesday. Bonelli declined to say how many are in the first group.
- More invites will roll out in phases, with service expected to open to everyone later this year.