Tekedra Mawakana, one of the execs of robotaxi startup Waymo, said hundreds of passengers had had the opportunity to try out the electric taxi service, and tens of thousands are in line for their future trips.
The service was launched in test mode in August. A ride in a gorgeous new Jaguar I-Pace is free and attended by a driver ready to intercept controls if anything goes wrong. All beta test participants are screened to ensure representative feedback about the quality of the service. Around a half of them are women.
According to Tekedra Mawakana, the company is currently looking for ways to commercialize robotic vehicles in such areas as passenger transportation, last-mile delivery, cargo shipment, and car rent.
U.S.-based technology conglomerate Alphabet Inc. founded Waymo 12 years ago, registering it as a subsidiary of Google. San Francisco is its second testing site for autonomous vehicles.
This fall, the company received permission to transport people in self-driving cars in California, with a speed limit of 65 mph (105 km/h).
Last month, Waymo started preparations to bring its self-driving cars to downtown New York City as well, arguing that the metropolis provided the most robust testing environment ever due to its extreme traffic situation.