About Waymo

In August, Waymo and its competitor Cruise received approval from California regulators to operate commercial robotaxi services around San Francisco around the clock. It was a major win for the tech industry, which regularly faces criticism over potential problems such as obstructing emergency vehicles and causing traffic jams.

Growing the number of people willing to pay for robotic rides is critical for Waymo. From 2009 to 2015, the company invested more than $1.1 billion in development and research in the field of autonomous vehicles. This figure has undoubtedly increased exponentially in subsequent years. For autonomous vehicles to become a profitable business, Waymo needs to start making money and quickly grow revenue from its robotaxis. The Waymo service is not yet available to everyone who has downloaded the app and wants to try robo-rides. The company is recruiting passengers from its waiting list, which already has tens of thousands of people registered. “We continue to see very strong demand, so we want to scale responsibly to maintain quality service and a good user experience,” said Waymo spokesman Christopher Bonelli.