Waymo may operate AVs in Phoenix ‘without safety driver’
Ride-hailing company Waymo may be about to start operating fully-autonomous vehicles (AVs) to pick people up - without a safety driver.
An email sent to users, which appeared on Reddit, said people in Phoenix, Arizona, who were matched with an AV will see a notification in the app that confirms the car will not have a trained driver.
Users can tap a ‘What to Expect’ button within the app to learn more about the AVs. They can also communicate with a rider support agent at any part of the trip via the app o
October 17, 2019
Read time: 2 mins
Ride-hailing company 8621 Waymo may be about to start operating fully-autonomous vehicles (AVs) to pick people up - without a safety driver.
An email sent to users, which appeared on %$Linker: 2External<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-16"?><dictionary />000link-external Redditfalsehttps://www.reddit.com/r/SelfDrivingCars/comments/dflcan/waymo_email_to_customers_completely_driverless/falsefalse%>, said people in Phoenix, Arizona, who were matched with an AV will see a notification in the app that confirms the car will not have a trained driver.
Users can tap a ‘What to Expect’ button within the app to learn more about the AVs. They can also communicate with a rider support agent at any part of the trip via the app or the car’s help button, the company adds. Earlier this year, Waymo %$Linker: 2External<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-16"?><dictionary />000link-external deployed falsehttps://www.itsinternational.com/categories/utc/news/waymo-and-lyft-bring-more-avs-to-phoenix/falsefalse%>10 AVs on 8789 Lyft’s platform to operate in the Metro Phoenix area.
In a separate announcement, the company said via %$Linker: 2External<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-16"?><dictionary />000link-external Twitter falsehttps://twitter.com/Waymo/status/1181240275642961920falsefalse%>that it has deployed AVs in Los Angeles to explore “how Waymo’s tech might fit into LA’s dynamic transportation environment”.
Quantum XYZ is seeking to use SureFly’s eight-rotor hybrid ‘octocopters’ to launch an air taxi service in Los Angeles.
SureFly, a subsidiary of US technology company Workhorse, is currently pursuing Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) type certification for its electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft.
Quantum intends to submit an application to become a FAA-certified urban VTOL air carrier.
The company’s president, Tony Thompson, says: “Once SureFly receives FAA Type certification, we
Taxi-hailing giant Uber is suspending its service in the Spanish city of Barcelona.
The move comes after new regulations were passed by local authorities, according to Reuters.
The company started its UberX service in the city last year. But from now on, passengers using ride-hailing services will have to wait at least 15 minutes after booking a ride before they can be picked up – thus negating one of the key selling points of companies such as Uber.
Speed and convenience – as well as cost – are w
French car manufacturer Groupe PSA says its ‘free-floating’ car-share service provides members in Washington, DC with access to 600 vehicles.
The Free2Move service is available to drivers for a $10 membership fee and does not include late fees, per trip fees or insurance charges, the company adds.
Members can use the Free2Move app to locate, book and open/lock the vehicles.
This pilot coincides with Maven’s announcement to expand its peer-to-peer car-share service in Washington, DC – and other US
Renault and Waymo are hoping to establish an autonomous mobility service between Roissy-Charles de Gaulle Airport and La Défense, a business district in France’s capital Paris.
Valérie Pécresse, president of the Paris region, says the service could “play a key role for the mobility of Île-de-France inhabitants, tourists and therefore for the international attractiveness of our region, which is investing €100 million to develop the infrastructure on which autonomous vehicles will operate.”
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