Self-driving vehicles become more and more popular. Some of them are currently tested by their manufacturers only, others are available for the public also. Waymo just announced it is expanding its early rider program and that with this occasion, it will add 500 new hybrid minivans to its fleet. The company already released 100 self-driving minivans for the trial this year. Waymo tests its self-driving hybrid minivans in the Phoenix area. The company encourages people to apply for its early rider program through its website. According to Waymo, they are going to allow hundreds of people to enjoy their self-driving vehicles.
Those who sign up for the program won’t only get to ride these minivans once or twice. Waymo plans on giving access to its fleet on a daily basis. Participants to the program can use these vehicles to go anywhere they want at any time. Of course, the area is limited, but it is a big one. According to Waymo, users can benefit from rides in an area that is twice the size of San Francisco. The plan right now is to popularize the self-driving minivans in the Phoenix area. The company hopes to reach as many people as possible. Later on, it also plans on taking the program further. The self-driving cars will reach other communities too soon.
The self-driving car project is not a new one. Waymo has been testing these vehicles over the last eight years. Naturally, the project was not open to the public first. The fact that people are now able to get to their workplaces and schools with these self-driving minivans is a huge success for the company. It’s not only a great way to perfect the vehicles, it is also a good way to make people love them. We will probably see more vehicles of this kind soon on the streets. They aim to make our lives easier and make our cities safer.
Source: Waymo
RSS