Self-driving vehicle company Waymo gets $5.6B to expand, despite challenges

[JACK AYLMER]

GOOGLE IS BETTING BILLIONS ON THE FUTURE OF AUTONOMOUS VEHICLES.

THE SEARCH GIANT’S CAR PROJECT – ‘WAYMO’ JUST SECURED SOME SERIOUS FUNDING THAT WILL ALLOW THE SERVICE TO EXPAND TO MORE MAJOR CITIES.

BUT WAYMO’S ROLLOUT HAS BEEN ANYTHING BUT SMOOTH – WITH SOME NOTABLE BUMPS ALONG THE ROAD OF PROGRESS. 

INVESTORS HAVE HAILED WAYMO’S DRIVERLESS TECH AS THE SAFEST AND BEST THAT THE INDUSTRY HAS TO OFFER – AND THEY’RE PUTTING 5.6-BILLION DOLLARS BEHIND AN EFFORT TO EXPAND.

THE PROJECT’S LARGEST ROUND OF FUNDING EVER. 

RIGHT NOW, WAYMO ONLY OPERATES IN SAN FRANCISCO, LOS ANGELES AND PHOENIX.

AND SINCE 2020 – THEIR DRIVERLESS VEHICLES HAVE BEEN INVOLVED IN AT LEAST 192 COLLISIONS. 

WHICH THE COMPANY CLAIMS IS STATISTICALLY SMALLER WHEN COMPARED TO ACCIDENTS INVOLVING HUMAN-DRIVEN VEHICLES – BUT THERE ARE OTHER NOTABLE INCIDENTS THAT COULD GIVE POTENTIAL CUSTOMERS CAUSE FOR CONCERN. 

EARLIER THIS MONTH IT WAS REPORTED THAT A PASSENGER WAS LOCKED IN A WAYMO ROBOTAXI WHILE IT WAS BEING VANDALIZED.

AND OVER THE SUMMER NEIGHBORS COMPLAINED WHEN A WAYMO PARKING LOT FILLED WITH DRIVERLESS VEHICLES STARTED HONKING AT EACH OTHER IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT FOR WEEKS.

DESPITE THE HURDLES – WAYMO’S INFLUX OF CASH WILL ALLOW THEM TO EXPAND INTO NEW CITIES LIKE AUSTIN AND ATLANTA BY 20-25-

WHILE TESTING OUT ITS SELF DRIVING VEHICLES FOR FUTURE DEPLOYMENT IN COLDER AND MORE COMPLEX URBAN ENVIRONMENTS-

SUCH AS BUFFALO, NEW YORK CITY, AND WASHINGTON, DC.

THE COMPANY SAYS ITS ALSO WORKING ON IMPROVEMENTS TO ITS OFFERINGS IN EXISTING MARKETS.

AND THAT THE NEW FUNDING WILL ALLOW THEM TO EXPLORE OTHER BUSINESS APPLICATIONS FOR THEIR AUTONOMOUS DRIVING SOFTWARE-

POTENTIALLY INCLUDING  FOOD AND PACKAGE DELIVERIES, TRUCKING, OR EVEN PERSONALLY OWNED SELF-DRIVING VEHICLES.

TO DATE, THE COMPANY’S DRIVERLESS VEHICLES HAVE TRAVELED OVER 25 MILLION MILES-

ABOUT THE DISTANCE FROM EARTH TO THE PLANET VENUS DURING ITS CLOSEST APPROACH. 

AS OF AUGUST, WAYMO HAS STATED IT IS NOW PROVIDING 100,000 CUSTOMER TRIPS EVERY WEEK.

FOR STRAIGHT ARROW NEWS – I’M JACK AYLMER.