The all-electric robotics has a minivan-like design
(photo: Waymo)
Waymo, a subsidiary of Alphabet, began offering a taxi service without a driver in Phoenix, Arizona, in October last year. This made it the first commercial taxi service in the world to operate without back-up drivers behind the wheel. Now the company has introduced a new car that will be included in the fleet of robotics and has no steering wheel at all.
The all-electric vehicle has a minivan-like design with a flat floor, set low to make it easy to get on and off. A pair of sliding doors, opening in both directions, allows entry and exit.
The vehicle boasts plenty of head and legroom. Comfort is complemented by adjustable reclining seats, and screens and chargers allow passengers to relax while traveling and have fun.
The robot taxi was designed and developed in Gothenburg, Sweden, and will be manufactured by Zeekr. It is a subsidiary brand of electric cars of the Chinese car manufacturer Geely, announced NewAtlas.
Waymo says the vehicle will meet US federal vehicle safety standards and join the Waymo One fleet on US roads “in the coming years” – of course, regulators will have a big say in which year this will happen. Therefore, Waymo cannot give a more accurate forecast.
Inside the car there is a spacious space for the head and legs
(photo: Waymo)
For more than a decade, Waymo’s self-driving software has driven more than 32 million kilometers in autonomous mode on public roads. That’s more than the average driver spends his entire life.
Since the beginning of the tests on public roads, the company’s vehicles have been involved in only a few accidents, most of them minor, and none of them have resulted in deaths.
