Waymo Redirects Attention to Ride Hailing, Delays Autonomous Truck Development

Waymo’s focus on driverless trucks will be delayed as the company shifts its attention to its One ride-hailing service. The decision aims to prioritize the success of self-driving taxis, according to co-CEOs Dmitri Dolgov and Tekedra Mawakana. Consequently, the deployment of Waymo-powered autonomous big rigs will be limited in the near future.

Waymo justified the decision by citing “significant” growth in demand for its robot taxis in Los Angeles, Phoenix and San Francisco. It also noted rapid updates to Driver, the artificial intelligence system that powers its autonomous cars. One has “tremendous momentum,” executives say, and the new strategy will help capitalize on that trend.

The Alphabet-owned brand plans to continue working with Daimler on self-driving semi-trucks. It’s moving most of its tech development toward Waymo One, but believes Driver’s work (especially on-road driving) will indirectly benefit trucking. There’s no updated timeline for when the trucks might hit the roads, but TechCrunch understands that only a handful of employees will lose their jobs as a result of the transition. Most have taken other positions at Waymo.

Waymo began testing autonomous big rig trucks in 2017 and expanded rapidly in 2019 and 2020, including the launch of the Via freight division. The company attracted the attention of major partners, including UPS and former competitor Uber Freight. However, there is no doubt that the Waymo One was the star and received the most attention. Uber even expects to offer Waymo rides and deliveries in Phoenix later this year.

Implementation of the change is not guaranteed. While Waymo is closer to offering paid rides in several markets, it still faces opposition from officials concerned about safety issues. Driverless cars have blocked traffic, interfered with emergency vehicles and otherwise caused problems, and regulators are being urged to limit where and when robotaxis can operate.