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| defunct = <!-- {{End date|YYYY|MM|DD}} -->
| hq_location_city = [[Mountain View, California]]
| hq_location_country =
| area_served = *[[Phoenix, Arizona]],
* [[San Francisco]] and [[Daly City]], California,
*[[Los Angeles, California]], US (Publicly Available)
| key_people = {{Plainlist|
* [[Dmitri Dolgov]] ([[Chief executive officer|co-CEO]])
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[[File:Waymo Chrysler Pacifica in Los Altos, 2017.jpg|thumb|Waymo [[Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid]] undergoing testing in the San Francisco Bay Area]]
'''Waymo LLC''', formerly known as the '''Google Self-Driving Car Project''', is an American [[autonomous driving]] technology company headquartered in [[Mountain View, California
The company traces its origins to the Stanford Racing Team, which [[Stanley (vehicle)|competed in the 2005]] and 2007 [[Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency]] (DARPA) [[DARPA Grand Challenge|Grand Challenges]].<ref name=":10" /> Google's development of self-driving technology began in January 2009,<ref name="AP-16" /><ref name=":2" /> led by [[Sebastian Thrun]], the former director of the [[Stanford Artificial Intelligence Laboratory]] (SAIL), and [[Anthony Levandowski]], founder of 510 Systems and Anthony's Robots.<ref name=":7" /><ref name=":3" /> After almost two years of road testing with seven vehicles, [[The New York Times|the ''New York Times'']] revealed Google's project in October 2010.<ref name="NYT2010" /><ref name="Google" /><ref name="tc-levandowski" />
In fall 2015, Google provided "the world's first fully driverless ride on public roads".<ref name=":16" /> In December 2016, the project was renamed Waymo and spun out of Google as part of Alphabet.<ref name="journey" /> In October 2020, Waymo became the first company to offer service to the public without safety drivers in the vehicle.<ref name="auto">{{cite news |title=Waymo launches its first commercial self-driving car service |work=Engadget |url=https://www.engadget.com/2018/12/05/waymo-one-launches/ |access-date=December 5, 2018}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=White |first=Joseph |date=October 8, 2020 |title=Waymo opens driverless robo-taxi service to the public in Phoenix |
Waymo is run by co-CEOs [[Tekedra Mawakana]] and [[Dmitri Dolgov]].<ref>{{Cite web|title=Waymo CEO John Krafcik steps aside as co-CEO's take over|url= https://www.cnbc.com/2021/04/02/waymo-ceo-john-krafcik-steps-aside-as-co-ceos-take-over.html|access-date=April 2, 2021| publisher =CNBC|date=April 2, 2021}}</ref> The company raised US$5.5 billion in multiple outside funding rounds
==History==
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=== Ground work ===
Google's development of self-driving technology began on January 17, 2009,<ref name=":2">{{cite web|url=https://twitter.com/johnkrafcik/status/1085944196186304512|title=Our #tenyearchallenge has been building the world's most experienced driver. Thanks to two visionary @Google characters for getting us started & to the @Waymo One riders in #Phoenix we're serving. HBD #Waymo pic.twitter.com/Ew4fdXjM7c|last1=Krafcik|first1=John|date=January 17, 2019|website=John Krafcik's official Twitter account|language=en|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190123193629/https://twitter.com/johnkrafcik/status/1085944196186304512|archive-date=January 23, 2019|access-date=January 17, 2019|url-status=live}}</ref>{{Primary source inline|date=July 2024}} at [[Google X]] lab, run by co-founder [[Sergey Brin]].<ref name="AP-16">{{cite news |title=Google's self-driving-car project becomes a separate company: Waymo |url=https://www.latimes.com/business/autos/la-fi-hy-google-waymo-self-driving-20161213-story.html |agency=[[Associated Press]] |date=December 13, 2016 |access-date=June 13, 2018}}</ref> The project was launched at Google by Sebastian Thrun, the former director of the [[Stanford Artificial Intelligence Laboratory]] (SAIL) and [[Anthony Levandowski]], founder of 510 Systems and Anthony's Robots.<ref name=":7" /><ref name=":3">{{Cite magazine|title=God Is a Bot, and Anthony Levandowski Is His Messenger {{!}} Backchannel|language=en-us|magazine=Wired|url=https://www.wired.com/story/god-is-a-bot-and-anthony-levandowski-is-his-messenger/|access-date=July 1, 2020|issn=1059-1028}}</ref>
The initial software code and [[artificial intelligence]] (AI) design of the effort started before the team worked at Google, when Thrun and 15 engineers, including Dmitri Dolgov, Mike Montemerlo, Hendrik Dahlkamp, Sven Strohband, and [[David Stavens]], built Stanley and Junior, Stanford's entries in the 2005 and 2007 [[DARPA Grand Challenge|DARPA Challenges]]. Later, aspects of this technology were used in a digital mapping project for SAIL called VueTool.<ref name=":4">{{Cite news|last=Higgins|first=Jack Nicas and Tim|date=May 23, 2017|title=Google vs. Uber: How One Engineer Sparked a War|language=en-US|work=[[The Wall Street Journal]]|url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/how-a-star-engineer-sparked-a-war-between-google-and-uber-1495556308|access-date=July 1, 2020|issn=0099-9660}}</ref><ref name=":5" /><ref name="NYT2010">{{cite news|author=[[John Markoff]]|date=October 9, 2010|title=Google Cars Drive Themselves, in Traffic|work=[[The New York Times]]|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2010/10/10/science/10google.html|access-date=October 11, 2010}}</ref> In 2007, Google [[Acqui-hiring|acqui-hired]] the entire VueTool team to help advance Google's [[Google Street View|Street View]] technology.<ref name=":4" /><ref name=":5">{{Cite news|title=Fury Road: Did Uber Steal the Driverless Future From Google?|url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/features/2017-03-16/fury-road-did-uber-steal-the-driverless-future-from-google?sref=BeOevass|access-date=July 1, 2020|newspaper=Bloomberg.com|date = March 16, 2017}}</ref><ref name="Google">{{cite web |author=Sebastian Thrun |date=October 9, 2010 |title=What we're driving at |url=http://googleblog.blogspot.com/2010/10/what-were-driving-at.html |access-date=October 11, 2010 |publisher=The Official Google Blog}}</ref><ref name="Hull17">{{cite news |title=The PayPal Mafia of Self-Driving Cars Has Been at It a Decade |last1=Hull |first1=Dana |url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/features/2017-10-30/it-s-been-10-years-since-robots-proved-they-could-drive |publisher=[[Bloomberg L.P.]] |date=October 30, 2017 |access-date=June 13, 2018}}</ref>
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In February 2008, a [[Discovery Channel]] producer for the documentary series ''[[Prototype This!]]'' phoned Levandowski.<ref name=":5" /><ref>{{Cite magazine|last=Bilger|first=Burkhard|title=Has the Self-Driving Car Arrived at Last?|url=https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2013/11/25/auto-correct|access-date=July 1, 2020|magazine=The New Yorker|date=November 18, 2013|language=en-us}}</ref> The producer requested to borrow Levandowski's Ghost Rider, the autonomous two-wheeled motocycle Levandowski's [[University of California, Berkeley|Berkeley]] team had built for the [[2004 DARPA Grand Challenge]]<ref name=":10">{{Cite web|date=August 19, 2016|title=How a robot lover pioneered the driverless car, and why he's selling his latest to Uber|url=http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2016/aug/19/self-driving-car-anthony-levandowski-uber-otto-google|access-date=July 1, 2020|website=The Guardian|language=en}}</ref> that Levandowski had later donated to the [[Smithsonian American Art Museum|Smithsonian]].<ref>{{Cite web|title="Ghostrider" Robot Motorcycle|url=https://americanhistory.si.edu/collections/search/object/nmah_1332301|access-date=July 1, 2020|website=National Museum of American History|language=en}}</ref> Since the motorcycle was not available, Levandowski offered to retrofit a Toyota Prius as a self-driving [[pizza delivery]] car for the show.<ref name=":5" />
As a Google employee, Levandowski asked [[Larry Page]] and Thrun whether Google was interested in participating in the show. Both declined, citing liability issues.<ref name=":10" /> However, they authorized Levandowski to move forward with the project, as long as it was not associated with Google.<ref name=":5" /><ref name=":6">{{Cite web|last=McCullagh|first=Declan|title=Robotic Prius takes itself for a spin around SF|url=https://www.cnet.com/news/robotic-prius-takes-itself-for-a-spin-around-sf/|access-date=July 1, 2020|publisher=CNET|language=en}}</ref> Within weeks Levandowski founded Anthony's Robots to do so.<ref name=":4" /> He retrofitted the car with [[light detection and ranging]] technology (lidar), sensors, and cameras. The Stanford team ([[Stanley (vehicle)]]) provided its code base to the project.<ref name=":10" /> The ensuing episode depicting Pribot delivering pizza across the [[San Francisco Bay Bridge]] under police escort aired in December 2008.<ref name=":8">{{Cite magazine|title=How Anthony Levandowski Put Himself at the Center of an Industry|language=en-us|magazine=Wired|url=https://www.wired.com/story/anthony-levandowski-put-himself-center-industry/|access-date=July 1, 2020|issn=1059-1028}}</ref><ref name=":7">{{Cite web|title=The Unknown Start-up That Built Google's First Self-Driving Car|url=https://spectrum.ieee.org
The project success led Google to [[greenlight]] Google's self-driving car program in January 2009.<ref name=":10" /> In 2011, Google acquired 510 Systems (co-founded by Levandowski, Pierre-Yves Droz and Andrew Schultz), and Anthony's Robots for an estimated US$20 million.<ref name=":9" /><ref name=":4" /><ref name=":8" /><ref name=":7" /><ref>{{Cite web |last=Ohnsman |first=Alan |title=Anthony Levandowski, The Fallen Self-Driving Tech Star Who Triggered Waymo-Uber Legal Battle, Ordered To Pay Google $179 Million |url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/alanohnsman/2020/03/05/anthony-levandowski-the-fallen-self-driving-tech-star-who-triggered-waymo-uber-legal-battle-ordered-to-pay-google-179-million/ |access-date=July 1, 2020 |website=Forbes |language=en}}</ref> Levandowski's vehicle and hardware, and Stanford's AI technology and software, became the nucleus of the project.<ref name=":10" />
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After almost two years of road testing with seven vehicles, the ''New York Times'' revealed the existence of Google's project on October 9, 2010.<ref name="NYT2010" /> Google announced its initiative later the same day.<ref name="Google" /><ref name="tc-levandowski">{{Cite web |date=March 20, 2020 |title=Anthony Levandowski pleads guilty to one count of trade secrets theft under plea deal |url=https://techcrunch.com/2020/03/19/anthony-levandowski-pleads-guilty-to-one-count-of-trade-secrets-theft-under-plea-deal/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200320163936/https://techcrunch.com/2020/03/19/anthony-levandowski-pleads-guilty-to-one-count-of-trade-secrets-theft-under-plea-deal/ |url-status=dead |archive-date=March 20, 2020 |access-date=June 30, 2020 |website=TechCrunch |language=en-US}}</ref>
Starting in 2010, lawmakers in various states expressed concerns over how to regulate autonomous vehicles. A related [[Nevada]] law went into effect on March 1, 2012.<ref name="1stLicense">{{cite news|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/uk-usa-nevada-google-idUSLNE84701320120508| title=Google gets first self-driven car license in Nevada|author=Mary Slosson |
In January 2014<ref>{{cite news |author=Billy Davies |date=January 24, 2014 |title=The future of urban transport: The self-driving car club |work=zodiacmedia.co.uk |url=http://www.zodiacmedia.co.uk/blog/the-future-of-urban-transport-the-self-driving-car-club |access-date=January 24, 2014}}</ref> Google was granted a patent for a transportation service funded by advertising that included autonomous vehicles as a transport method.<ref>{{cite patent|country=US|number=8630897 B1|title=Transportation-aware physical advertising conversions|status=patent|pubdate=2014-01-14|fdate=2014-01-11|invent1=Luis Ricardo Prada Gomez|invent2=Andrew Timothy Szybalski Sebastian Thrun|invent3=Philip Nemec|invent4=Christopher Paul Urmson|assign1=Google Inc}}</ref> In late May, Google revealed an autonomous [[prototype]], which had no steering wheel, gas pedal, or brake pedal.<ref>{{cite AV media|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CqSDWoAhvLU&list=PLcNF6Ihx2JoUoNKe4PxLqEcZMM0QW2yG- |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211221/CqSDWoAhvLU |archive-date=December 21, 2021 |url-status=live|title=A First Drive|date=May 27, 2014|via=YouTube}}{{cbignore}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://recode.net/2014/05/27/googles-new-self-driving-car-ditches-the-steering-wheel/|title=Google Introduces New Self Driving Car at the Code Conference – Re/code|author=Liz Gannes|work=Re/code|date=May 27, 2014}}</ref> In December, Google unveiled a Firefly prototype that was planned to be tested on [[San Francisco Bay Area]] roads beginning in early 2015.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.mercurynews.com/business/ci_27190285/googles-goofy-new-self-driving-car-sign-things |title=Google's 'goofy' new self-driving car a sign of things to come |work=Mercury News |date=December 22, 2014 |access-date=December 22, 2014}}</ref><ref name="Lynch17">{{cite news |title=Waymo retires Firefly test cars, focuses on Pacificas |last1=Lynch |first1=Jim |url=https://www.detroitnews.com/story/business/autos/mobility/2017/06/13/waymo-retires-firefly-test-cars-focuses-pacificas/102818318/ |newspaper=[[The Detroit News]] |date=June 13, 2017 |access-date=June 27, 2018}}</ref> [[File:Google driverless car at intersection.gk.jpg|thumb|A self-driving car with the previous Google branding]]In 2015, Levandowski left the project. In August 2015, Google hired former [[Hyundai Motor Company|Hyundai Motor]] executive, [[John Krafcik]], as CEO.<ref name="nyt-spinoff">{{Cite news|last=Wakabayashi|first=Daisuke|date=December 13, 2016|title=Google Parent Company Spins Off Self-Driving Car Business|language=en-US|work=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2016/12/13/technology/google-parent-company-spins-off-waymo-self-driving-car-business.html|access-date=June 30, 2020|issn=0362-4331}}</ref> In fall 2015, Google provided "the world's first fully driverless ride on public roads" in [[Austin, Texas]] to Steve Mahan, former CEO of the Santa Clara Valley Blind Center, who was a [[legally blind]] friend of principal engineer Nathaniel Fairfield.<ref name=":16">{{Cite web|url=https://medium.com/waymo/scenes-from-the-street-5bb77046d7ce|title=On the road with self-driving car user number one|first=Waymo|last=Team|date=December 13, 2016|website=Medium}}</ref> It was the first entirely autonomous trip on a public road. It was not accompanied by a test driver or police escort.<ref>{{Cite news|last1=III|first1=Ashley Halsey|last2=Laris|first2=Michael|date=December 13, 2016|title=Blind man sets out alone in Google's driverless car|language=en-US|newspaper=The Washington Post|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/trafficandcommuting/blind-man-sets-out-alone-in-googles-driverless-car/2016/12/13/f523ef42-c13d-11e6-8422-eac61c0ef74d_story.html|access-date=July 2, 2020|issn=0190-8286}}</ref> The car had no steering wheel or floor pedals.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.complex.com/life/2016/12/blind-man-rides-self-driving-google-car-by-himself |title=Google Confirms First Ever Driverless Self-Driving Car Ride |first=Debbie |last=Encalada |publisher=Complex Media |date=December 14, 2016}}</ref> By the end of 2015, Project Chauffeur had covered more than a million miles.<ref name=":9" />
Google spent $1.1 billion on the project between 2009 and 2015. For comparison, the acquisition of [[Cruise Automation]] by [[General Motors]] in March 2016 was for $500 million, and Uber's acquisition of [[Otto (company)|Otto]] in August 2016 was for $680 million.<ref>{{cite news |author=Mark Harris |date=September 15, 2017 |title=Google Has Spent Over $1.1 Billion on Self-Driving Tech |work=IEEE spectrum |url=https://spectrum.ieee.org
=== Waymo ===
In May 2016, Google and Stellantis announced an order of 100 [[Chrysler Pacifica (minivan)|Chrysler Pacifica]] [[Hybrid vehicle|hybrid]] minivans to test the self-driving technology.<ref name="Ebhardt16">{{cite news |author=Tommaso Ebhardt |date=May 3, 2016 |title=Fiat, Google Plan Partnership on Self-Driving Minivans |newspaper=Bloomberg.com |url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2016-05-03/fiat-google-said-to-plan-partnership-on-self-driving-minivans}}</ref> In December 2016, the project was renamed Waymo and spun out of Google as part of Alphabet.<ref name="journey">{{Cite web |title=Journey |url=https://waymo.com/journey/ |website=Waymo}}</ref> The name was derived from "a new way forward in mobility".<ref name=":0">{{cite web |last1=Etherington |first1=Darrell |last2=Kolodny |first2=Lora |title=Google's self-driving car unit becomes Waymo |date=December 13, 2016 |url=https://techcrunch.com/2016/12/13/googles-self-driving-car-unit-spins-out-as-waymo/}}</ref> In May 2016, the company opened a {{Convert|53000|sqft|abbr=out|adj=on}} technology center in [[Novi, Michigan]].<ref name="michigan-winter">{{Cite web |last=Krafcik |first=John |date=October 27, 2017 |title=Michigan is Waymo's winter wonderland |url=https://medium.com/waymo/michigan-is-waymos-winter-wonderland-9b3cffbb9bab |access-date=September 15, 2018 |website=Medium.com}}</ref>
In 2017, Waymo sued [[Uber]] for allegedly stealing trade secrets.<ref name="Hull17" /> Waymo began testing minivans without a safety driver on public roads in [[Chandler, Arizona]], in October 2017.<ref name="Randazzo18">{{cite news |title=Waymo to start driverless ride sharing in Phoenix area this year |last1=Randazzo |first1=Ryan |url=https://www.azcentral.com/story/money/business/tech/2018/01/30/waymo-start-driverless-ride-sharing-phoenix-area-year/1078466001/ |newspaper=[[Arizona Republic]] |date=January 30, 2018 |access-date=June 13, 2018}}</ref> In 2017, Waymo unveiled new sensors and chips that are less expensive to manufacture, cameras that improve visibility, and wipers to clear the [[lidar]] system.<ref name="Bergen17">{{Cite web |last=Bergen |first=Mark |date=May 16, 2017 |title=Waymo Tests Hardware to Ease Passenger Fears of Driverless Cars |url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2017-05-16/waymo-s-next-challenge-making-driverless-passengers-feels-safe |access-date=June 13, 2018 |publisher=[[Bloomberg L.P.]]}}</ref> At the beginning of the self-driving car program, they used a $75,000 lidar system from [[Velodyne LiDAR|Velodyne]].<ref name="Adams17">{{cite web |author=Dallon Adams |date=April 26, 2017 |title=Everything you need to know about Waymo's self-driving car project |url=https://www.digitaltrends.com/cars/everything-you-need-to-know-waymo/ |access-date=June 13, 2018 |publisher=[[Digital Trends]]}}</ref> In 2017, the cost decreased approximately 90 percent, as Waymo converted to in-house built lidar.<ref name="Amadeo17">{{cite web |author=Ron Amadeo |date=January 9, 2017 |title=Google's Waymo invests in LIDAR technology, cuts costs by 90 percent |url=https://arstechnica.com/cars/2017/01/googles-waymo-invests-in-lidar-technology-cuts-costs-by-90-percent/ |access-date=June 13, 2018 |publisher=[[Ars Technica]]}}</ref> Waymo has applied its technology to various cars including the Prius, [[Audi TT]], [[Fiat]] [[Chrysler Pacifica (RU)|Chrysler Pacifica]], and [[Lexus RX450h]].<ref name="Wired2012">{{cite magazine |author=Damon Lavrinc |date=April 16, 2012 |title=Exclusive: Google Expands Its Autonomous Fleet With Hybrid Lexus RX450h |url=https://www.wired.com/autopia/2012/04/google-autonomous-lexus-rx450h/ |magazine=[[Wired (magazine)|Wired]] |access-date=April 24, 2012}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Gibbs |first=Samuel |date=November 7, 2017 |title=Google sibling Waymo launches fully autonomous ride-hailing service |language=en-GB |work=The Guardian |url=https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2017/nov/07/google-waymo-announces-fully-autonomous-ride-hailing-service-uber-alphabet |access-date=December 3, 2017 |issn=0261-3077}}</ref> Waymo partners with Lyft on pilot projects and product development.<ref name="Isaac17">{{cite news |last1=Isaac |first1=Mike |date=May 14, 2017 |title=Lyft and Waymo Reach Deal to Collaborate on Self-Driving Cars |newspaper=[[The New York Times]] |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2017/05/14/technology/lyft-waymo-self-driving-cars.html |access-date=June 13, 2018}}</ref> Waymo ordered an additional 500 Pacifica hybrids in 2017.
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In March 2018, Jaguar Land Rover announced that Waymo had ordered up to 20,000 of its [[Jaguar I-Pace|I-Pace]] electric SUVs at an estimated cost of more than $1 billion.<ref name="Higgins18">{{cite news |last1=Higgins |first1=Tim |last2=Dawson |first2=Chester |date=March 27, 2018 |title=Waymo Orders Up to 20,000 Jaguar SUVs for Driverless Fleet |newspaper=[[The Wall Street Journal]] |url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/waymo-orders-up-to-20-000-jaguar-suvs-for-driverless-fleet-1522159944 |access-date=June 13, 2018}}</ref><ref name=":1">{{Cite web |last=Topham |first=Gwyn |date=March 27, 2018 |title=Jaguar to supply 20,000 cars to Google's self-driving spin-off Waymo |url=https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2018/mar/27/waymo-self-driving-taxis-jaguar-land-rover |access-date=March 28, 2018 |website=The Guardian |language=en}}</ref> In late May 2018, Alphabet announced plans to add up to 62,000 Pacifica Hybrid minivans to the fleet.<ref name="Hawkins18">{{cite web |author=Andrew J. Hawkins |date=January 30, 2018 |title=Waymo strikes a deal to buy 'thousands' more self-driving minivans from Fiat Chrysler |url=https://www.theverge.com/2018/1/30/16948356/waymo-google-fiat-chrysler-pacfica-minivan-self-driving |access-date=June 13, 2018 |publisher=[[The Verge]]}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1=della Cava |first1=Marco |title=Waymo will add up to 62,000 FCA minivans to self-driving fleet |url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/tech/talkingtech/2018/05/31/waymo-add-up-62-000-fca-minivans-self-driving-fleet/659160002/ |access-date=June 1, 2018 |website=USA Today |language=en}}</ref> Also in May 2018, Waymo established Huimo Business Consulting subsidiary in Shanghai.<ref>{{Cite news |last1=Bergen |first1=Mark |last2=Spears |first2=Lee |date=August 24, 2018 |title=Waymo's Shanghai Subsidiary Gives Alphabet Another Route Back to China |publisher=Bloomberg L.P. |url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2018-08-23/waymo-forms-china-subsidiary-as-parent-alphabet-eyes-return |access-date=August 24, 2018}}</ref>
In April 2019, Waymo announced plans for vehicle assembly in Detroit at the former American Axle & Manufacturing plant, bringing between 100 and 400 jobs to the area. Waymo used vehicle assembler [[Magna Steyr|Magna]] to turn [[Jaguar I-PACE]] electric SUVs and [[Chrysler Pacifica (minivan)|Chrysler Pacifica]] Hybrid minivans into Waymo [[Vehicular automation#Autonomy levels|Level 4]] autonomous vehicles.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-waymo-selfdriving-idUSKCN1RZ1IZ|title=Waymo picks Detroit factory for self-driving fleet, to be operational by mid-2019|last=Sage|first=Alexandria|date=April 23, 2019|
In March 2020, Waymo Via was launched after the company's announcement that it had raised $2.25 billion from investors.<ref name="cnbc-waymovia-2020-03">{{Cite web |last=LeBeau |first=Phil |date=March 2, 2020 |title=Waymo launches delivery service after raising $2.25 billion |url=https://www.cnbc.com/2020/03/02/waymo-launches-delivery-service-after-raising-2point25-billion.html |access-date=March 3, 2020 |publisher=[[CNBC]] |language=en}}</ref> In May 2020, Waymo raised an additional $750 million.<ref name="funding-fool">{{Cite web |last=Miller |first=Daniel |date=May 13, 2020 |title=Waymo Drives an Additional $750 million in Funding |url=https://www.fool.com/investing/2020/05/13/waymo-drives-an-additional-750-million-in-funding.aspx |access-date=July 1, 2020 |website=The Motley Fool |language=en}}</ref> In July 2020, the company announced an exclusive partnership with auto manufacturer [[Volvo Cars|Volvo]] to integrate Waymo technology.<ref name=":12">{{Cite web|last=Silver|first=David|title=Waymo And Volvo Form Exclusive Self-Driving Partnership|url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/davidsilver/2020/06/29/waymo-and-volvo-form-exclusive-self-driving-partnership/|access-date=July 1, 2020|website=Forbes|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|date=June 25, 2020|title=Volvo Cars, Waymo partner to build self-driving vehicles|language=en|
In April 2021, Krafcik was replaced by two co-CEOs: Waymo's COO Tekedra Mawakana and [[Chief technology officer|CTO]] Dmitri Dolgov.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Nieva|first=Richard|date=April 2, 2021|title=Waymo CEO John Krafcik to step down from self-driving car company|url=https://www.cnet.com/news/waymo-ceo-john-krafcik-to-step-down-from-self-driving-car-company/|access-date=April 4, 2021|publisher=CNET|language=en}}</ref> Waymo raised $2.5 billion in another funding round in June 2021,<ref>{{cite news |last1=Sebastian |first1=Dave |title=Waymo Raises $2.5 Billion in Funding Round |url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/waymo-raises-2-5-billion-in-funding-round-11623854400 |access-date=July 13, 2021 |website=[[The Wall Street Journal]] |date=June 16, 2021}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1=Alamalhodaei |first1=Aria |title=Waymo, Alphabet's self-driving arm, raises $2.5B in second external investment round |url=https://techcrunch.com/2021/06/16/waymo-alphabets-self-driving-arm-raises-2-5b-in-second-external-investment-round/ |website=[[TechCrunch]] |access-date=July 13, 2021 |date=June 16, 2021 }}</ref> with total funding of $5.5 billion.<ref name="cnbc-may22">{{Cite web |last=Fannin |first=Rebecca |date=May 21, 2022 |title=Where the billions spent on autonomous vehicles by U.S. and Chinese giants is heading |url=https://www.cnbc.com/2022/05/21/why-the-first-autonomous-vehicles-winners-wont-be-in-your-driveway.html |access-date=2022-05-22 |publisher=[[CNBC]]}}</ref> Waymo launched a consumer testing program in San Francisco in August 2021.<ref name=":13" /><ref name=":15" /> [[Geely]] Holding said it would partner with Waymo to make electric vehicles from its premium electric mobility brand, Zeekr, to be deployed as fully autonomous ride-hailing vehicles across the United States.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Waymo and China's Zeekr partner to develop driverless taxis |url=https://www.thestar.com.my/business/business-news/2021/12/29/waymo-and-china039s-zeekr-partner-to-develop-driverless-taxis |access-date=December 29, 2021 |website=The Star |language=en}}</ref>
In May 2022, Waymo started a pilot program seeking riders in downtown [[Phoenix, Arizona]].<ref name=":13">{{Cite web |last1=Randazzo |first1=Ryan |title=Waymo to start offering autonomous rides to public in central, downtown Phoenix |url=https://www.azcentral.com/story/money/business/tech/2022/05/10/waymo-offer-autonomous-vehicle-rides-phoenix/9711015002/ |access-date=May 11, 2022 |work=[[The Arizona Republic]] |date=May 10, 2022}}</ref><ref name=":15">{{Cite journal |last1=Blye |first1=Andy |title=Waymo opens autonomous service to select Phoenix passengers |journal=Phoenix Business Journal |date=May 10, 2022 |url=https://www.bizjournals.com/phoenix/news/2022/05/10/waymo-trusted-tester-phoenix.html |access-date=May 11, 2022|url-access=subscription}}</ref> In May 2022, Waymo announced that it would expand the program to more areas of Phoenix.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Valencia |first=Peter |title=Waymo to launch self-driving cars program at Phoenix Sky Harbor in next few weeks |url=https://www.azfamily.com/2022/05/18/waymo-launch-self-driving-cars-program-phoenix-sky-harbor-next-few-weeks/ |access-date=2022-05-22 |website=[[Arizona's Family]] |date=May 18, 2022 |language=en}}</ref> In 2023, coverage of the Waymo One area was increased by {{Convert|45|sqmi|abbr=out}}, expanding to include downtown Mesa, uptown Phoenix, and South Mountain Village.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Vanek |first=Corina |date=July 11, 2023 |title=Waymo expands coverage area in Phoenix. Here's what to know to hail a robotaxi |url=https://www.azcentral.com/story/money/business/tech/2023/07/11/waymo-one-expands-phoenix/70399131007/ |work=[[The Arizona Republic]] }}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Rice |first=Wills |date=July 9, 2023 |title=Waymo adding 45 square miles of metro Phoenix car service |url=https://ktar.com/story/5514377/waymo-adding-45-square-miles-of-metro-phoenix-car-service/ |publisher=[[KTAR-FM]]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Mixer |first=Kelly |date=July 15, 2023 |title=Waymo One expands another 45 square miles in metro Phoenix |url=https://www.citysuntimes.com/business/waymo-one-expands-another-45-square-miles-in-metro-phoenix/article_00d1b6f4-2289-11ee-9c37-3ff82179aa99.html |work=City Sun Times}}</ref>
In June 2022, Waymo announced a partnership with Uber, under which Waymo will integrate its autonomous technology into Uber's freight truck service.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Hawkins |first1=Andrew J. |title=Waymo is teaming up with Uber on autonomous trucking because time really heals all wounds |url=https://www.theverge.com/2022/6/7/23156674/waymo-via-uber-freight-autonomous-truck-deal |website=The Verge |date=June 7, 2022 |access-date=June 7, 2022}}</ref> Plans to expand the program to Los Angeles were announced in late 2022.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Elias |first=Jennifer |title=Waymo says it plans to launch its self-driving service in Los Angeles |date=October 19, 2022 |url=https://www.cnbc.com/2022/10/19/waymo-says-it-plans-to-launch-a-ride-hailing-service-in-los-angeles.html |access-date=2022-12-15 |publisher=CNBC |language=en}}</ref> On December 13, 2022, Waymo applied for the final permit necessary to operate fully autonomous taxis, without a backup driver present, within the state of California.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Dave |first=Paresh |date=December 13, 2022 |title=Waymo seeks permit to sell self-driving car rides in San Francisco |language=en |
In January 2023, [[The Information (website)|''The Information'']] reported that Waymo staff were among those affected by Google's layoffs of around 12,000 workers. ''[[TechCrunch]]'' reported that Waymo was set to kill its trucking program.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Bellan |first=Rebecca |date=January 24, 2023 |title=Waymo lays off staff as Alphabet announces 12,000 job cuts |url=https://techcrunch.com/2023/01/24/waymo-lays-off-staff-as-alphabet-announces-12000-job-cuts/ |access-date=2023-01-25 |website=TechCrunch |language=en-US}}</ref>
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[[File:Google's Lexus RX 450h Self-Driving Car.jpg|thumb|A [[Lexus RX450h]] retrofitted by Google for its self-driving car project]]
Google has invested heavily in [[matrix multiplication]] and [[video processing]] hardware such as the [[Tensor Processing Unit]] (TPU) to augment [[Nvidia]]'s [[graphics processing unit]]s (GPUs) and [[Intel]] [[central processing unit]]s (CPUs).<ref>{{Cite news |title=Intel is collaborating with Waymo on self-driving car technology |url=http://www.businessinsider.com/intel-waymo-self-driving-car-technology-2017-9 |access-date=December 12, 2017 |work=Business Insider |language=en}}</ref> Much of this is shrouded in trade secrets, but [[transformer (machine learning)]] technology for inference is probably involved.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2022/11/waymo-shows-off-its-futuristic-transportation-as-a-service-vehicle/| access-date=2023-11-06 |title=Waymo shows off its next truly driverless prototype car| date=November 17, 2022 }}</ref>
Waymo manufactures a suite of self-driving hardware developed in-house.<ref name="Gibbs17">{{cite news |title=Google sibling Waymo launches fully autonomous ride-hailing service |last1=Gibbs |first1=Samuel |url=https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2017/nov/07/google-waymo-announces-fully-autonomous-ride-hailing-service-uber-alphabet |newspaper=[[The Guardian]] |date=November 7, 2017 |access-date=June 13, 2018}}</ref> This includes sensors and hardware-enhanced vision system, [[radar]], and lidar.<ref name="Hawkins17"/><ref name="Gibbs17"/>
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By December 2013, Nevada, Florida, California, and Michigan had passed laws permitting [[autonomous car]]s.<ref>Muller, Joann. [https://www.forbes.com/sites/joannmuller/2012/09/26/with-driverless-cars-once-again-it-is-california-leading-the-way/ "With Driverless Cars, Once Again It Is California Leading The Way"], ''Forbes'', September 26, 2012</ref> A law proposed in Texas allowed testing.<ref>[http://www.legis.state.tx.us/BillLookup/History.aspx?LegSess=83R&Bill=HB2932 "Legislative Session: 83(R) Bill: HB 2932"], Texas Legislature Online, May 30, 2013</ref><ref>Whittington, Mark. [https://news.yahoo.com/law-proposed-texas-require-licensed-driver-self-driving-193000149.html "Law Proposed in Texas to Require Licensed Driver in Self-Driving Vehicles"], Yahoo! News, Fri, March 8, 2013</ref>
In June 2015, Waymo announced that their vehicles had driven over {{convert|1000000|mi|abbr=on}} and that in the process they had encountered 200,000 stop signs, 600,000 traffic lights, and 180 million other vehicles.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://accounts.google.com/ServiceLogin?passive=1209600&osid=1&continue=https://plus.google.com/%2BSelfDrivingCar/posts/iMHEMH9crJb&followup=https://plus.google.com/%2BSelfDrivingCar/posts/iMHEMH9crJb|title=Sign in – Google Accounts
In 2016, road testing expanded to Phoenix and [[Kirkland, Washington]], which has a wet climate.<ref name="Shepardson16">{{cite web |url=https://techcrunch.com/2018/01/12/waymos-self-driving-chrysler-pacifica-begins-testing-in-san-francisco/ |title=Google expanding self-driving vehicle testing to Phoenix, Arizona |author=David Shepardson |date=April 7, 2016 |publisher=[[TechCrunch]] |access-date=June 13, 2018}}</ref> {{As of|2016|06}}, Google had test driven its fleet of vehicles in autonomous mode a total of {{convert|1725911|mi|abbr=on}}.<ref>{{cite web|title=Google Self-Driving Car Project Monthly Report – June 2016|url=https://static.googleusercontent.com/media/www.google.com/en//selfdrivingcar/files/reports/report-0616.pdf|access-date=July 15, 2016|archive-date=December 13, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161213211930/http://static.googleusercontent.com/media/www.google.com/en//selfdrivingcar/files/reports/report-0616.pdf|url-status=dead}}</ref> In August 2016 alone, their cars traveled a "total of 170,000 miles; of those, 126,000 miles were autonomous (i.e., the car was fully in control)".<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://static.googleusercontent.com/media/www.google.com/en//selfdrivingcar/files/reports/report-0816.pdf|title=Google Self-Driving Car Project Monthly Report August 2016|access-date=September 19, 2016|archive-date=December 3, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161203061557/https://static.googleusercontent.com/media/www.google.com/en//selfdrivingcar/files/reports/report-0816.pdf|url-status=dead}}</ref>
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In 2017, Waymo began testing in [[Michigan]].<ref name="della Cava17" /> Also, in 2017, Waymo unveiled its [[Castle Air Force Base|Castle]] test facility in [[Central Valley (California)|Central Valley]], California. Castle, a former airbase, has served as the project's training course since 2012.<ref name="Hawkins17" />
In March 2018, Waymo announced its plans for experiments with the company's self-driving trucks delivering freight to Google data centers in [[Atlanta]], Georgia.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.theverge.com/2018/3/9/17100518/waymo-self-driving-truck-google-atlanta|title=Waymo's self-driving trucks will start delivering freight in Atlanta|work=The Verge|access-date=March 9, 2018}}</ref> In October 2018, the [[California Department of Motor Vehicles]] issued a permit for Waymo to operate cars without safety drivers. Waymo was the first company to receive a permit that allowed day and night testing on public roads and highways. Waymo announced that its service would include Mountain View, Sunnyvale, Los Altos, and Palo Alto.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.theverge.com/2018/10/30/18044670/waymo-fully-driverless-car-permit-california-dmv|title=Waymo gets the green light to test fully driverless cars in California|work=The Verge|access-date=November 1, 2018}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://medium.com/waymo/a-green-light-for-waymos-driverless-testing-in-california-a87ec336d657|title=A Green Light for Waymo's Driverless Testing in California|last=Team|first=Waymo|date=October 30, 2018|website=Medium|access-date=November 1, 2018}}</ref> In July 2019, Waymo received permission to transport passengers.<ref>{{Cite web|url=
In December 2018, Waymo launched Waymo One, transporting passengers. The service used safety drivers to monitor some rides, with others provided in select areas without them. In November 2019, Waymo One became the first autonomous service worldwide to operate without safety drivers.<ref name="ars-201911">{{Cite web |last=Lee |first=Timothy |date=November 2, 2019 |title=Waymo let a reporter ride in a fully driverless car – Waymo has been touting fully driverless operation for almost two years. |url=https://arstechnica.com/cars/2019/11/waymo-finally-let-a-reporter-ride-in-a-fully-driverless-car/ |access-date=August 5, 2020 |website=[[Ars Technica]]}}</ref><ref name="verge-201912">{{Cite web |last=Hawkins |first=Andrew |date=December 9, 2019 |title=Waymo's driverless car: ghost-riding in the back seat of a robot taxi |url=https://www.theverge.com/2019/12/9/21000085/waymo-fully-driverless-car-self-driving-ride-hail-service-phoenix-arizona |access-date=August 5, 2020 |website=[[The Verge]]}}</ref><ref name="vox-2020-02">{{Cite web |last=Piper |first=Kelsey |date=February 28, 2020 |title=It's 2020. Where are our self-driving cars? – In the age of AI advances, self-driving cars turned out to be harder than people expected. |url=https://www.vox.com/future-perfect/2020/2/14/21063487/self-driving-cars-autonomous-vehicles-waymo-cruise-uber |access-date=September 14, 2020 |website=[[Vox (website)|Vox]]}}</ref>
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In March 2022, Waymo began offering rides for Waymo staff in San Francisco without a driver.<ref name="sf-03022">{{Cite news |author1=Nico Grant |author2=Edward Ludlow |date=March 30, 2022 |title=Waymo, Chasing Cruise, Plans Fully Driverless Rides in San Francisco |url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2022-03-30/google-s-waymo-to-offer-public-fully-driverless-rides-in-san-francisco |work=[[Bloomberg News]] |access-date=March 31, 2022 }}</ref>
{{As of|2024|October}}, Waymo is offering 100,000 paid rides per week across its Phoenix, San Francisco, and Los Angeles markets.<ref>{{Cite news |last1=Bobrowsky |first1=Meghan |last2=Kruppa |first2=Miles |date=October 18, 2024 |title=How San Francisco Learned to Love Self-Driving Cars. Just last year, residents wanted to get rid of robotaxis. Now locals and tourists can't get enough. |url=https://www.wsj.com/tech/waymo-san-francisco-self-driving-robotaxis-uber-244feecf |access-date=October 22, 2024 |work=[[The Wall Street Journal]]}}</ref>
=== Crashes ===
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A Waymo robotaxi killed a dog in San Francisco while in "autonomous mode" in May 2023.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2023/jun/07/waymo-car-kills-dog-self-driving-robotaxi-san-francisco|title=Self-driving Waymo car kills dog amid increasing concern over robotaxis|date=June 7, 2023|work=The Guardian}}</ref>
In February 2024, a driverless Waymo robotaxi struck a cyclist in San Francisco.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Mishra |first1=Disha |last2=Rajan |first2=Gnaneshwar |title=Waymo robotaxi accident with San Francisco cyclist draws regulatory review |url=https://www.reuters.com/world/us/driverless-waymo-car-hits-cyclist-san-francisco-causes-minor-scratches-2024-02-07/ |access-date=February 8, 2024 |
=== Limitations ===
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California regulators do not require Waymo to disclose every incident involving erratic behavior in its fleet. In the first five months of 2023, San Francisco officials said they had logged more than 240 incidents in which a Cruise or Waymo vehicle might have created a safety hazard.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Liedtke |first=Michael |date=August 5, 2023 |title=Recalling a wild ride with a robotaxi named Peaches as regulators mull San Francisco expansion plan |url=https://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/recalling-wild-ride-robotaxi-named-peaches-regulators-mull-102044826 |access-date=2023-08-05 |website=ABC News |language=en}}</ref>
In 2021, it was noted that Waymo cars kept routing through the [[Richmond District, San Francisco|Richmond District]] of San Francisco, with up to 50 cars each day driving to a [[dead end street]] before turning around.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Pruitt-Young |first=Sharon |date=October 16, 2021 |title=Self-driving Waymo cars gather in a San Francisco neighborhood, confusing residents |url=https://www.npr.org/2021/10/16/1046752123/self-driving-cars-waymo-san-francisco |publisher=NPR}}</ref> In 2023, [[Abc7 Bay Area|ABC7 News Bay Area]] posted a video of a journalist taking a ride in a Waymo vehicle, which
=== Backlash ===
In 2023, the San Francisco group ''
In 2024, a San Francisco city attorney had attempted to sue to prevent expansion of driverless vehicles including Waymo into San Francisco.<ref>{{Cite web
In May 2024, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) launched an investigation into potential flaws in Waymo vehicles, focusing on 31 incidents that included Waymo vehicles ramming into a closing gate, driving on the wrong side of the road, and at least 17 crashes or fires.<ref>{{Cite news |
In August of 2024, residents of San Francisco's [[SoMa]] district began to complain about noise pollution from Waymo vehicles honking at each other in a local parking lot. Residents reported that the car horns could be heard daily, with varying levels of activity, usually peaking at around 4 AM and during evening rush hour. The honking appears to have been triggered by the self-driving cars backing in and out of the lot.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Edwards |first=Benj |date=2024-08-13 |title=Self-driving Waymo cars keep SF residents awake all night by honking at each other |url=https://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2024/08/self-driving-waymo-cars-keep-sf-residents-awake-all-night-by-honking-at-each-other/ |access-date=2024-09-06 |website=Ars Technica |language=en-us}}</ref> The story caught attention after a resident began live streaming the cars with [[lofi hip hop]] music. Since then, Waymo Director of Product & Ops, Vishay Nihalani has appeared on the live stream to apologize and offer an explanation. Nihalani has assured locals that the honking will be fixed as further software updates are implemented.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Larson, Gooden |first=Amy, Lezla |date=19 August 2024 |title=Driverless Waymo cars still honking despite software fix |url=https://www.kron4.com/news/bay-area/driverless-waymo-cars-still-honking-despite-software-fix/ |access-date=6 September 2024 |work=KRON 4 News}}</ref>
==Services==
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=== Robotaxis ===
{{Excerpt|Robotaxi|paragraphs=1}}
Waymo offers robotaxi services in Phoenix, Arizona and in San Francisco,<ref name="sf-08021" />
=== Trucking and delivery ===
Waymo Via, launched in 2020 to work with OEMs to get its technology into vehicles.<ref name=":14">{{Cite web |date=June 30, 2020 |title=Waymo Targets Southwest Freight Corridor for Autonomous Truck Tests |url=https://www.ttnews.com/articles/waymo-targets-southwest-freight-corridor-autonomous-truck-tests-0 |access-date=July 2, 2020 |website=Transport Topics |language=en}}</ref><ref name="cnbc-waymovia-2020-03" /><ref name="waymo-via">{{Cite web |title=Waymo Via – Same Driver. Different Vehicle. |url=https://waymo.com/waymo-via/ |access-date=July 22, 2020}}</ref> The company is testing [[Truck classification|Class 8]] tractor-trailers<ref name="Hawkins03-09-2018" /> in Atlanta,<ref name="Hawkins03-09-2018">{{cite web |url=https://www.theverge.com/2018/3/9/17100518/waymo-self-driving-truck-google-atlanta |title=Waymo's self-driving trucks will start delivering freight in Atlanta |author=Andrew J. Hawkins |date=March 9, 2018 |publisher=[[The Verge]] |access-date=June 27, 2018}}</ref> and southwest shipping routes across Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, and California.<ref name=":14" /> The company operates a trucking hub in [[Dallas]], Texas.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Ohnsman |first=Alan |date=August 25, 2020 |title=Waymo Taps Texas As Its Robot Truck Hub With Dallas Depot |url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/alanohnsman/2020/08/25/waymo-taps-texas-as-its-robot-truck-hub-with-new-dallas-depot/ |access-date=September 14, 2020 |website=[[Forbes]]}}</ref> It is partnering with Daimler to integrate autonomous technology into a fleet of [[Freightliner Cascadia]] trucks.<ref name="via-daimler">{{Cite web |last=Hawkins |first=Andrew |date=October 27, 2020 |title=Waymo and Daimler are teaming up to build fully driverless semi trucks – 'A broad, global, strategic partnership' |url=https://www.theverge.com/2020/10/27/21536048/waymo-daimler-driverless-semi-trucks-cascadia-freightliner |access-date=October 27, 2020 |website=[[The Verge]]}}</ref>
Waymo operates 48 Class 8 autonomous trucks with safety drivers.<ref name="reuters-202304">{{Cite web |last=Shepardson |first=David |date=April 12, 2023 |title=US union opposes driverless trucks waiver for Waymo, Aurora |url=https://www.reuters.com/business/autos-transportation/union-opposes-driverless-trucks-exemption-waymo-aurora-2023-04-11/ |access-date=2023-04-12 |
Waymo tested its technology in commercial delivery vehicles with [[United Parcel Service]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=McFarland |first=Matt |date=January 29, 2020 |title=UPS teams up with Waymo to test self-driving delivery vans |url=https://www.cnn.com/2020/01/29/tech/ups-waymo-self-driving-package-delivery/index.html |access-date=July 22, 2020 |publisher=[[CNN]]}}</ref><ref name="fc-ups-waymo">{{Cite web |date=July 28, 2020 |title=How the Waymo Driver is revolutionizing shipping – It's not only more efficient. Delivery networks, energy conservation, warehouse design, and more will all be affected—for the better. |url=https://www.fastcompany.com/90532791/how-the-waymo-driver-is-revolutionizing-shipping |access-date=July 29, 2020 |website=[[Fast Company]]}}</ref> In July 2020 Waymo and [[Stellantis]] expanded their partnership, including the development of [[Ram ProMaster]] delivery vehicles.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Gitlin |first=Jonathan |date=July 22, 2020 |title=Waymo is working on autonomous Ram ProMaster Vans for goods deliveries – FCA was Waymo's first OEM partner in 2016, deal will continue post-merger with PSA. |url=https://arstechnica.com/cars/2020/07/waymo-is-working-on-autonomous-ram-promaster-vans-for-goods-deliveries/ |access-date=July 22, 2020 |website=[[Ars Technica]]}}</ref>
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=== ''Waymo LLC v. Uber Technologies, Inc. et al.'' ===
In February 2017, Waymo sued Uber and its subsidiary self-driving trucking company, [[Otto (company)|Otto]], alleging [[trade secrets|trade secret]] theft and patent infringement. The company claimed that three ex-Google employees, including [[Anthony Levandowski]], had stolen trade secrets, including thousands of files, from Google before joining Uber.<ref name= "Wakabayashi">{{Cite news|url= https://www.nytimes.com/2018/02/09/technology/uber-waymo-lawsuit-driverless.html|title=Uber and Waymo Settle Trade Secrets Suit Over Driverless Cars|last=Wakabayashi|first= Daisuke|date=February 9, 2018|work=The New York Times|access-date= February 23, 2019|language=en-US|issn= 0362-4331}}</ref> The alleged infringement was related to Waymo's proprietary lidar technology,<ref>{{Cite web|url= http://tsi.brooklaw.edu/cases/waymo-llc-v-uber-technologies-inc-ottomotto-llc-otto-trucking-llc|title=Waymo LLC v. Uber Technologies, Inc; Ottomotto LLC; Otto Trucking LLC|website=Trade Secrets Institute | publisher = Brook law |access-date=March 18, 2017}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url = https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2017/02/23/technology/document-waymo-uber-complaint.html |title=Waymo's Complaint Against Uber|date=February 23, 2017|work=The New York Times|access-date=March 18, 2017|issn= 0362-4331}}</ref> Google accused Uber of colluding with Levandowski.<ref>{{Cite news|url= https://www.nytimes.com/2018/01/30/technology/waymo-uber-lawsuit.html |title=Secrets or Knowledge? Uber-Waymo Trial Tests Silicon Valley Culture|date=January 30, 2018|work=The New York Times|access-date=June 4, 2018 |language=en-US|issn=0362-4331}}</ref> Levandowski allegedly downloaded 9 gigabytes of data that included over a hundred trade secrets; eight of which were at stake during the trial.<ref>{{Cite news |url= https://www.theverge.com/2018/2/8/16993208/waymo-v-uber-trial-trade-secrets-lidar |title=I'm not so sure Waymo's going to win against Uber|work=The Verge|access-date=June 4, 2018}}</ref><ref name= "Larson18">{{cite web |url= https://money.cnn.com/2018/02/07/technology/waymo-v-uber-technology/index.html |title=The tech at the center of the Waymo vs. Uber trade secrets case | first =Selena | last = Larson |date=February 7, 2018 |publisher=[[CNN]] |access-date=June 13, 2018}}</ref>
An ensuing settlement gave Waymo 0.34% of Uber stock,<ref name= "Wakabayashi"/> the equivalent of $245 million. Uber agreed not to infringe Waymo's intellectual property.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Farivar|first1=Cyrus|title= Silicon Valley's most-watched trial ends as Waymo and Uber settle|url= https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2018/02/waymo-and-uber-end-trial-with-sudden-244-million-settlement/|access-date=February 9, 2018| work =Ars Technica |date=February 9, 2018}}</ref> Part of the agreement included a guarantee that "Waymo confidential information is not being incorporated in Uber Advanced Technologies Group hardware and software."{{Sfn | Larson | 2018}} In statements released after the settlement, Uber maintained that it received no trade secrets.<ref>{{Cite web|url= https://www.latimes.com/business/autos/la-fi-uber-waymo-settlement-20180209-story.html|title=Uber reaches settlement with Waymo in dispute over trade secrets|last1=Lien|first1=Russ | last2 = Mitchell | first2 = Tracey|website=[[Los Angeles Times]]|date= February 10, 2018 |access-date=June 4, 2018}}</ref> In May, according to an Uber spokesman, Uber had fired Levandowski, which resulted in the loss of roughly $250 million of his equity in Uber, which almost exactly equaled the settlement.<ref name="Wakabayashi"/> Uber announced that it was halting production of self-driving trucks through Otto in July 2018, and the subsidiary company was shuttered.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Korosec |first=Kirsten |date=July 30, 2018 |title=Uber's self-driving trucks division is dead, long live Uber self-driving cars |url=https://techcrunch.com/2018/07/30/ubers-self-driving-trucks-division-is-dead-long-live-uber-self-driving-cars/ |access-date=2022-12-31 |website=TechCrunch |language=en-US}}</ref>
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==External links==
{{Commons category|Waymo}}
* [https://www.waymo.com Waymo Official Website]
* [https://openaccess.thecvf.com/content_CVPR_2020/html/Sun_Scalability_in_Perception_for_Autonomous_Driving_Waymo_Open_Dataset_CVPR_2020_paper.html Scalability in Perception for Autonomous Driving: Waymo Open Dataset]
* [https://www.jjricks.com/videos Waymo Self Driving Car Videos] – citizen journalist recording Waymo autonomous trips in Phoenix area
{{Alphabet Inc.}}
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