Following the success of robotaxis in Phoenix and San Fransisco, the self-driving cabs are now entering parts of Los Angeles where experts believe they will add to the current taxi and PHV fleet, rather than replace it.
While success in other cities has allowed Waymo to extend its autonomous taxis, the LA operations area will be much smaller and will not include key areas such as the famous Sunset Strip and busy Los Angeles International Airport.
Instead, the driverless cabs will be picking up fares in an area bordered by Play Vista and Marina Del Rey in the south, with Santa Monica and West Hollywood to the north and Little Tokyo to the west.
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The news has been welcomed by Inside EVs reporter Mack Hogan, a self-confessed autonomous driving sceptic-turned-enthusiast. His initial reluctance to embrace the technology came from the limitations of the early software from different manufacturers. But having experienced Waymo in San Fransisco, he is now a convert.
Mack explained: “Neighbourhoods like Silver Lake, Echo Park, East Hollywood, Ladera Heights, Brentwood and El Segundo are all outside of the service area. High-traffic areas like the Sunset Strip and Los Angeles International Airport are also off-limits.
“That makes sense, as we haven’t seen Waymo doing airport pickups or drop-off in San Fransisco or Phoenix, either. It may be a long time before any autonomous system can handle the chaos of a busy airport, especially LAX.”
Despite the limits of the LA operating area, Mack believes the expansion is big news for the city.
He said: “The rollout is a big deal, as it shows Waymo remains serious about expanding its service. For LA residents, I highly recommend giving it a try. Eight years of reporting on services like Tesla Autopilot made me a sceptic of autonomous driving, but one weekend in San Fransisco reversed that entirely.
“Hailing self-driving Waymos there was one of the most genuinely astounding technology experiences I’ve ever had. I couldn’t believe how well it worked, and how quickly I got comfortable with a robot driver.”
Success
After initial teething problems which we have looked at before, Waymo taxis have become a familiar sight on the busy and winding streets of San Fransisco, where even neighbours who had been disrupted by honking robotaxis have become fans.
And Mack is looking forward to seeing how they will cope in the new environment. He said: “If it’s anything like San Fransisco, I expect prices to be a bit more than a comparable Uber, though roughly equivalent with tip included in the Uber.
“Wait times tend to be longer, and surges hit harder as the number of robotaxis on the road doesn’t change with demand. It likely won’t replace Uber for most people in the short term, but it’s an experience worth trying.”
The expansion of Waymo and emergence of other brands such as Tesla’s Cybercab gives us a glimpse into part of the future which, despite predictions of fully autonomous vehicles driving and flying passengers around the world, might still consist of robotaxis existing alongside traditional cabs with drivers.
