Why Waymo's Robotaxis Are Hitting the Arizona Freeway

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The Wall Street Journal

Technology

4.4 • 1.4K Ratings

🗓️ 15 March 2024

⏱️ 15 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

After years of promises that driverless cars were just over the horizon, one of the industry's biggest players is headed for the freeway. Now, for the first time, Alphabet’s Waymo is allowing robotaxis to take its employees on high-speed roads in Phoenix, Arizona without a human driver. The move comes just as the industry is facing a harsh reality after high-profile crashes: GM’s Cruise had its permits to operate driverless robotaxis pulled by the California DMV, and Waymo issued its first-ever recall after two of its cars collided with a pickup truck being towed. WSJ reporter Meghan Bobrowsky discusses what this could mean for the future of self-driving cars and where the industry is heading. What do you think about the show? Let us know on Apple Podcasts or Spotify, or email us: [email protected] Further reading: Self-Driving Cars Enter the Next Frontier: Freeways Self-Driving Car Company Waymo Issues First-Ever Recall After Two Phoenix Crashes GM’s Cruise Says U.S. Is Investigating Driverless Car’s Collision With Pedestrian America’s Most Tech-Forward City Has Doubts About Self-Driving Cars Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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0:00.0	Support for this show comes from SoFi Invest.
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0:33.7	expenses and important information contained in a fund's
0:36.6	prospectus.
0:37.6	Hey Future of Everything listeners today's episode is about self-driving cars
0:41.9	hitting the freeway and we want to hear from you. Would
0:45.4	being able to take a robo-taxi on freeways make you more interested in hailing one?
0:50.2	Why or why not? Email us at FOE podcast at W.S.J.com.
0:55.0	All right, I think my waymo is here.
1:01.0	We're going to see how this goes.
1:05.0	Last month, Wall Street Journal reporter Megan Babski took a trip to Phoenix, Arizona,
1:10.0	one of the cities that has become home to self-driving car companies testing their tech on real world streets.
1:16.0	I've already seen two different way mows dropping passengers off while I'm waiting for mine and I keep confusing them for mine.
1:26.4	So it's kind of crazy that there's that many people already using them here.
1:31.1	As a tech reporter in San Francisco, another major testing ground for companies like
1:35.0	Alphabet's Waymo, Megan's not a stranger to the so-called robot taxis. They look more or less
	...

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