Alphabet’s self-driving car subsidiary, Waymo, is preparing to launch its autonomous taxi service this year. And the company has received the go-ahead from the state of Arizona to launch.
Fiat-Chrysler Authority reported on Monday that the self-driving service will use the fleet of Chrysler Pacifica minivans outfitted for autonomous driving duties. Pricing hasn’t been announced, but without a driver to pay, the service will likely rival Uber and Lyft.
General Motors’ Cruise Automation subsidiary remain’s one of Waymo’s biggest rivals. GM Cruise showed off the Cruise AV last month without a steering wheel or pedals. The automaker also sent a petition to the Department of Transportation to approve the vehicle’s use without the typical driving controls. GM wants to roll out its self-driving cars on a commercial scale next year.
Meanwhile, Waymo plans to launch its service this year and beat GM Cruise to the punch. Waymo’s technology still remains slightly more advanced that GM, too. A report from earlier this month showed GM Cruise self-driving cars had to disengage from their autonomous mode 0.8 times per 1,000 miles driven. Waymo vehicles had to disengage just 0.18 times per 1,000 miles. But, it shows GM is quickly catching up.
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The GM AVs are battery electric vehicles (BEVs). Ford and Waymo are using hybrids. A BEV can also charge itself using wireless charging, but no hybrid can gas itself.