Alphabet, who also own Google and YouTube, has made some changes to the rider experience of their self-drive cars known as Waymo.
Previously, the self-drive cars were under the Google Self-Driving cars umbrella. However, this has since been simplified and a new brand, Waymo, was created. The cars are available in Phoenix, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Atlanta and Austin.
The cars are designed to use cameras, sensors and navigation tools, so they can sense danger around them, and act by the laws of the road, while also getting customers to their destination efficiently. They’re fully autonomous, driverless robot taxis.
Just as a customer would input their details into Uber, or by calling a taxi company directly, customers can input this information into the Waymo app. A car will then collect them, and drive them to their destination.
While the cars roll out, certain areas such as central San Francisco are operating free rides. However, you’d need to check the app to see exactly where this covers and how much distance is included to avoid being charged.
However, elsewhere, places charging for the service are found to be 30-40% more expensive than Uber or Lyft. It’s likely a novelty experience at the moment, but, as they expand, we’d imagine they’d become competitive with their pricing to attract customers.
Waymo now uses YouTube Music
Thanks to being part of the same family, Waymo has introduced YouTube Music to their cars. The Waymo app will now have a My car tab where users can connect and integrate their music library. Currently, iHearRadio and Spotify are part of the options.
You’ll be able to scan a QR code within the car, and then connect your music library. You’ll also be able to control cabin features such as the temperature, and audio settings in general. This should make for a much smoother journey.
