Waymo Begins Fully Driverless Rides for All Arizona Customers

Waymo said Thursday that it is opening its fully driverless ride-hailing service in suburban Phoenix to the public. Alphabet Inc.'s self-driving car unit began ferrying a select group of a few hundred customers, known as "early riders," in vehicles without safety drivers in the summer of 2019. After receiving feedback from those riders, who were bound by non-disclosure agreements not to discuss their experiences publicly, the company is making driverless rides in its Chrysler Pacifica minivans available to all users in the Phoenix area. "It's a really, really big deal, we think, for us, and for the world," said Waymo Chief Executive Officer John Krafcik in a conference call with reporters on Wednesday. It's been five years since Waymo provided the first-ever passenger trip in a driverless vehicle on a public road.