It’s 2018, and Waymo is doing it reside. Two months after the Alphabet self-driving automotive spinoff introduced it could begin operating a really driver-free service in Phoenix this 12 months (as in, automobiles romping about with nobody on the wheel), the corporate now unveils the way it will do it: with the assistance of hundreds extra Chrysler Pacifica hybrids. The autos, constructed by Fiat Chrysler in Canada, will finally make their technique to the cities the place Waymo is presently testing driverless tech. Waymo already makes use of 600 of the minivans to check its driverless software program.

The small print are a bit sketchy. Ask “what number of hundreds,” and also you’re advised, ¯_(ツ)_/¯. So we could possibly be speaking 2,000 new self-driving minivans, or 50,000. In fact, these will not come all at one—that is a type of “rolling supply” setups, with no public timeframe. “It’s actually depending on Waymo’s wants for the fleet,” says FCA spokesperson Dianna Gutierrez.

At this time’s information does show two actual issues. One: Waymo isn’t ready for the federal authorities to approve new automobile exemptions that might let it deploy autos with out steering wheels or pedals, like those Common Motors plans to launch subsequent 12 months. 9 years after launching this complete trade as Google’s self-driving automotive challenge, Waymo, now a standalone firm underneath the Alphabet umbrella, is itching to get going. “As a result of our know-how is prepared at this time and we’re able to scale at this time, our strategy is to make use of a automobile that’s in the marketplace,” says Waymo spokesperson Johnny Luu.

Due to that head begin and greater than four million miles of testing on public roads, Waymo seems to be successful the race to develop driverless tech. And whereas the enterprise mannequin for getting cash off these robots continues to be opaque—will it promote its software program to carmakers, or possibly handle its personal nationwide fleet of self-driving taxis?—it is transferring full velocity forward.

Takeaway quantity two: Chances are you’ll are available in contact with these automobiles ahead of you suppose, particularly should you reside in one of many 25 cities the place Waymo is presently testing the tech. The corporate introduced simply final week it can convey its testing equipment to metro Atlanta, making Georgia the primary southeastern state to have self-driving check automobiles its midst. (In Might 2017, the Peach State handed a invoice permitting robocars with correct insurance coverage and registration on public roads.)

Driverless automobiles have a protracted technique to go earlier than perfection, earlier than you’ll be able to hop in a cabbie-free taxi that may take you anyplace you need to go. However Waymo’s new armada of check minivans imply you would drive alongside one quickly.

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