What It’s Like to Ride in a Waymo Driverless Taxi
My first ride in a Waymo One autonomous taxi was the most surreal automotive-related experience I’ve had to date. For anyone unsure about self-driving cars, I’m here to pacify any uncertainties and anxieties. Self-driving cars are still new, but they present an enormous opportunity to elevate the transportation ecosystem for society as a whole.
I cover the details of my Waymo One trip, including a cost breakdown, and reaction to the experience.
What Is Waymo One?
Waymo is an autonomous driving technology company headquartered in Mountain View, California. Itsself-driving taxi service is called Waymo One. It is one of several autonomous ride-hailing companies, including Cruise and Zoox, that are rolling out their public driverless services.
After an initial public launch in suburban Phoenix, Arizona, Waymo One has expanded to nearly the entire downtown and metropolitan areas of the city, as well as to San Francisco, California, and soon Los Angeles.
Trip Details: From Cheesecake Factory to Walmart Using Waymo One
The Arizona sun felt scorching as I stood outside a Cheesecake Factory at a local mall. I anxiously checked my phone, watching a little dot on the Waymo One app get closer to my location and feeling the need for air-conditioned relief increase with each passing minute I stood waiting there.
Through the sweat and fogged glasses, I could see a white minivan emerge seemingly from a mirage enter the parking lot. At the time of my trip to Arizona, Waymo One was still using its fourth-generation fleet, made up of white Chrysler Pacifica plug-in hybrids. The company has already launched its fifth-generation fleet, which consists of a lineup of Jaguar I-Pace EVs. As the white minivan approached, I immediately noticed there was no one in the driver’s seat.
The autonomous Pacifica pulled off to the side of the parking lane and put on its hazards. When I approached the vehicle, all I had to do was open one of the sliding rear doors. Upon entry, I closed the door and selected the “start trip” button on the control panel mounted on the headliner above me; trip controls are also available on the rear-seat entertainment screens.
My destination was set to a Walmart; I needed a charger for my phone (go figure). From the Cheesecake Factory to the Walmart I was taken to, the distance was 10.21 miles, and the trip took 25 minutes.
Upon arriving at Walmart, I was dropped off right up front, close to the main entrance. The minivan closed its door and drove back off into the Arizona heat before turning back into a mirage.
Waymo One Trip Cost Breakdown
My first trip using Waymo One felt like a very quintessential errand to the store. I just wasn’t the driver. If you’re wondering how much traveling to obtain this phone charger cost me, here is how it broke down.
For the 25-minute, 10.21-mile trip from Cheesecake Factory to Walmart using Waymo One, it cost me $19.13. That means the trip cost me approximately $1.87 per mile or approximately $0.77 per minute to use. This is roughly in line with what human-driven ride-share services cost, depending on location and service class utilized.
Did I Feel Safe Using Waymo One?
Yes, I felt safe using Waymo, even before I took my first ride. Here’s why:Waymopublishes an annual safety report that is supported by its own vehicle performance data and credible best-practice resources and research. Waymo also submits its data to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), demonstrating its commitment to transparency when it comes to vehicle safety.
The company says that in one million miles of rider-only operations on public roads, specifically in Arizona and California, there were no reported injuries and only two collisions. The data speaks for itself. There were 18 contact events too minor to meet towing or police-report criteria. In addition, most of these incidents occurred at the fault of the other drivers, and the Waymo vehicles were either stationary or performing a parking maneuver.
The company’s fleet is consideredLevel 4 autonomous driving-capable, meaning no driver intervention is required and the vehicle is programmed to stop in the event of a system failure. Think of Waymo vehicles like airplanes, where thousands of flights take place daily, mostly controlled by the planes' autopilot systems. Similarly, these vehicles have many cameras, sensors, and systems of redundancy built into them, so I felt comfortable with not being able to grab the wheel if needed.
My Thoughts Overall Using Waymo One
I enjoyed my experience a lot. It felt like a full-circle realization of a science-fiction dream. As a self-proclaimed car enthusiast, I love nothing more than being in the driver’s seat, but I had no problem giving up control to the Waymo driver.
That isn’t to say there weren’t moments I clenched because my lack of control over the situation overcame my trust in the vehicle. However, the Waymo One got me to and from my requested destination safely and relatively comfortably.
Passengers get full control of the vehicle’s audio and climate control functions. The controls are well labeled and easy to use.
The only gripes I would point out, coming from my perspective as a car guy, were isolated moments of jerky lane changes and aggressive acceleration. As a plug-in hybrid vehicle, the Waymo One Chrysler Pacifica’s powertrain had relatively smooth transitions between the battery and gas engine, but the added weight of sensors and equipment seems pretty noticeable.
These things may have already been addressed with Waymo’s new fifth-generation autonomous fleet. I have yet to try Waymo again since this experience in Arizona.
The Benefits of Autonomous Vehicles
It’s difficult to envision the full benefits of a self-driven vehicle ecosystem in a predominately human-driven society. Waymo One and other rider-only services have the opportunity to improve last-mile transportation access for millions while decreasing collisions and injuries. The company is already preparing for its next-generation fleet with a new, fully accessible, purpose-built vehicle called Zeekr, designed in partnership with Geely.
You wouldn’t think someone who likes cars would be in favor of autonomous vehicle technology, but after getting the chance to try Waymo One for myself, I am excited to see it expand to more cities and for more people to experience it. Personally, I would like to see a ride-hailing service offer extended travel services. As a long-time highway traveler who regularly visits family and friends, I’ve sometimes wished I could get that time back to catch up on other things during my commute.
While traditional automakers like Ford have begun rolling outhand-free driving technology like BlueCruise, market options are still few and far between at this point. And still, many people depend on other forms of transportation every day; transportation freedom is mission-critical.
A Case for Autonomous Ride-Hailing Services Like Waymo One
Waymo One was cool, period. It was easy to use, comfortable, and at no point did it make me feel unsafe. The cost to use the ride-hailing service is reasonable and comparable to services like Uber and Lyft.
If you’re still leery about driverless vehicles, at least consider how much you might appreciate the absence of awkward small talk with a stranger. And also, be mindful of the opportunities ride-hailing services like Waymo One create for everyone.
Waymo and Cruise aren’t the only players in the autonomous taxi market, with Zoox hot on their tail developing its purpose-built robo taxi.
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