Robotaxis are on a roll
Waymo will ferry more than 1 million a week by year-end
Waymo is inching closer to Louisiana—and, eventually, maybe Baton Rouge.
What’s happening: Waymo, the self-driving unit of Google parent Alphabet, keeps expanding. In late February, it added four cities to its rollout plans: Houston, Dallas, San Antonio, and Orlando. Last year, the company also put New Orleans on its list of the next 20 cities it wants to enter.
Why New Orleans: On paper, the Crescent City looks like an odd early pick. But tourists make it a smart bet: visitors try a Waymo, decide it’s safe and fun, and then talk it up when they get home.
Waymo’s take (from a November release): “We visited New Orleans last year, and the Waymo Driver found the Big Easy easy to navigate. From the large crowds in the French Quarter to navigating the city’s storied streets, our Driver safely navigated the complexity of the city.”
What about Baton Rouge: Waymo hasn’t promised smaller cities yet. But it has $16 billion to expand driverless service, and it can lean on parent Alphabet’s balance sheet as it scales up. Waymo already provides 400,000+ rides per week, with a goal to reach 1 million rides per week by year-end.
The bigger idea: If self-driving rides become common, cities could treat many crashes as preventable rather than inevitable. Insurance costs could fall to near zero, eliminating much of the auto insurance industry. Parking lots and garages could shrink. And when fleets ever coordinate vehicle spacing and speed (platooning), traffic could move more smoothly on major corridors.
