Waymo self driving taxi experience in Phoenix

[Speedbird001]

Not sure where to post this... I was in Phoenix this week for a short business trip. Saw these around the airport, "Waymo" self driving taxi. Next morning I needed a short ride and away I went. It was super cool. 8am on a weekday, I would call it light rush hour. Works off an app of course, pretty much the same as Uber. Bonus, signed in with Apple and paid with Apple Cash (No credit card on file).

Vehicle was a newish all electric Jaguar cross over. It has a touch screen in the back and front with GPS, iHeart radio and you can even control the HVAC. Pulled up right to my hotel in ~15 minutes (Not bad for time of the day). ~11 mile / ~15 minute ride cost me $17 ($5 cheaper than the Uber option at that time). 10/10 would do again. Short video I took, sorry crazy bright and sunny there.

 

[dogememe]

Yeah I tried it once and SF it was great. I would never pick a regular Uber over it.

 

[Owen Lucas]

Pretty cool! I wonder why they went with a Jaguar though.

 

[AZjeff]

You can't swing a cat without hitting a Waymo around Phx airport. We had some relatives come in for a visit from rural Pa, I picked them up and when we were leaving I said there goes a self driving car with nobody in it. They couldn't believe it.

Recently one was driving erratically and got pulled over by the police. The cop walked up to the car and started talking to someone at Waymo mothership somewhere. Cop told him the problem and they came an picked it up. Cop acted like it was no big deal. Bodycam video on evening news.

 

[Nick1994]

I’ve ridden in a few of them, they make some interesting route choices. And sometimes they speed up really fast just to the speed limit.

Right across the street from my house is a small patio home subdivision, and whenever these pull in they FLY in, and they don’t understand that the sidewalk is raised and you’ve got to slow down or you’ll bottom out. It’s hilarious, I’ll try to get it on video the next time I see one driving by.

 

[Speedbird001]

...We had some relatives come in for a visit from rural Pa, I picked them up and when we were leaving I said there goes a self driving car with nobody in it. They couldn't believe it...

Yeah, I wish my Grandfather was still alive to see this. He was born in 1919, worked at RCA during the slide rule days and was fascinated with the space race and such. Amazing times we are living in, think about it from coal/steam locomotives to autonomous electric taxis on demand in ~100 years .

FWIW, I did not feel nervous or in danger at all. IMO, Waymo is likely much safer than any Uber.

@AutoMechanic what do you think?

 

[PandaBear]

Pretty cool! I wonder why they went with a Jaguar though.

Could be a good deal or them willing to give out all the hardware and software design to work with easily. Back in my college days we put a Subaru engine in a Taurus for an R&D vehicle because Subaru gave us everything in the design and tech support whenever we have questions, instead of locking up everything for trade secret reasons.

 

[Speedbird001]

Could be a good deal or them willing to give out all the hardware and software design to work with easily. Back in my college days we put a Subaru engine in a Taurus for an R&D vehicle because Subaru gave us everything in the design and tech support whenever we have questions, instead of locking up everything for trade secret reasons.

There is no way these guys are making a profit. They must have deeeeep pockets and playing the loooong game. Agreed, there has to be some collaboration with Jag and who knows what other space tech is in these things (I'm guessing like Raytheon, Lockheed or similar high end force) EV VW or Hundai or [domestic] would have to be cheaper I would think.

Waymo must be willing and able to stomach the Uber business model: 14 years and 32 BILLION $ for Uber to turn a profit

 

[Escape08]

I hope the control unit can disable the vehicle just in case someone tries to steal it.

 

[Jetronic]

There is no way these guys are making a profit. They must have deeeeep pockets and playing the loooong game. Agreed, there has to be some collaboration with Jag and who knows what other space tech is in these things (I'm guessing like Raytheon, Lockheed or similar high end force) EV VW or Hundai or [domestic] would have to be cheaper I would think.

Waymo must be willing and able to stomach the Uber business model: 14 years and 32 BILLION $ for Uber to turn a profit

Jaguar = Tata....

 

[dishdude]

I absolutely love these things. I've been taking them for years, I'm sure I'm way over 100 rides. It's weird being in another city and having to use Uber/Lyft now.

 

[Zee09]

That's Waymo than I bargained for.

 

[Owen Lucas]

I absolutely love these things. I've been taking them for years, I'm sure I'm way over 100 rides. It's weird being in another city and having to use Uber/Lyft now.

I've read somewhere that in SF and Phoenix, supposedly Waymo has taken around 20% of rides from Uber / Lyft.

 

[dishdude]

I've read somewhere that in SF and Phoenix, supposedly Waymo has taken around 20% of rides from Uber / Lyft.

I believe it, they're everywhere.

 

[Pew]

Could be a good deal or them willing to give out all the hardware and software design to work with easily. Back in my college days we put a Subaru engine in a Taurus for an R&D vehicle because Subaru gave us everything in the design and tech support whenever we have questions, instead of locking up everything for trade secret reasons.

I must know, did it drive???

 

[dishdude]

I landed in Phoenix last night and I was exhausted. Fired up Waymo and it was a 17 minute wait and $28. Check Uber and it's a 6 minute wait and $20 so I did that. As I got in this old Prius I was regretting my decision. I don't know what it is with these old Priuses, they ride like there is absolutely no suspension and the door checks are broken on every single one of them. Waymos don't have 100 black ice air fresheners hanging from the mirror.

 

[Nick1994]

I landed in Phoenix last night and I was exhausted. Fired up Waymo and it was a 17 minute wait and $28. Check Uber and it's a 6 minute wait and $20 so I did that. As I got in this old Prius I was regretting my decision. I don't know what it is with these old Priuses, they ride like there is absolutely no suspension and the door checks are broken on every single one of them. Waymos don't have 100 black ice air fresheners hanging from the mirror.

Yeah those old Prius’ are tanks and run forever, but they ride horribly. Rattles too.

 

[PandaBear]

I must know, did it drive???

Pretty good. We got 40mpg in a Taurus back in 2000 as a hybrid. Mazda also gave us a prototype electric power steering that works well, like the one we have in 2015 after it is all matured.

 

[Kruse]

My daughter lives in Phoenix. About a 1 1/2 or 2 years ago, my wife and daughter used Waymo for a ride. It also was Jaguar-badged.
My wife took a video of their ride and showed it to me. The event was....non-eventful.
My daughter has used it a few times, but there have been a few glitches. One time she used it to go to a bar and couldn't quite get there. It seems a lot of other human drivers know that the Waymo vehicle will yield to them no matter what. So the human drivers will not yield to the Waymo vehicle and the driverless car is stuck in one spot forever. When this occured, my daughter had to call corporate, explain what had happened and they told her to get out and walk the remaining distance, a distance of about a block.

 

[Dave P.]

Do you have the option of sitting in the driver's seat and assuming control of the car if need should arise?