Analysis:
While Waymo isn’t the first or only autonomous vehicle company to deploy in Phoenix and San Francisco, the performance of its autonomous driving system sets it apart from its competition, which is mainly Cruise at this time. Waymo holds its robotaxis to a high bar. The company doesn’t just want to create an autonomous vehicle that can drive as well as a human, but one that can drive much better.

Waymo’s service isn’t perfect and still experiences disengagements, but seemingly far fewer than the competition. Robotics Business Review took 2 Waymo robotaxis around San Francisco for nearly 30 minutes, and the experience was flawless. Driverless robotaxis are slowly but surely expanding in the United States, in large part due to Waymo. – Brianna Wessling