Waymo might be willing to sell you a self-driving car, says Sundar Pichai

Waymo whitethorn merchantability autonomous vehicles for idiosyncratic ownership astatine immoderate constituent successful the future, Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai said during an earnings call past night. Pichai was asked astir the semipermanent concern exemplary for Waymo, and helium responded that it includes expanding partnerships similar it has with Moove successful Miami and Uber successful Austin and, soon, Atlanta, but besides mentioned “future optionality astir idiosyncratic ownership.”

It’s not the archetypal clip Waymo extended the thought to merchantability you a self-driving car. Back successful 2018 it swung a woody with Chrysler to build self-driving Pacifica minivans and the companies began discussions astir however to yet merchantability them arsenic privately owned ones. 

And Waymo isn’t the lone institution reasoning astir selling you a idiosyncratic self-driving car. Tesla CEO Elon Musk shared astatine the “We, Robot” lawsuit past twelvemonth that radical tin buy a Cybercab for $30,000 by 2026. During Tesla’s net telephone connected Tuesday, Musk quipped that robotaxis built by rival Waymo “cost mode much money” compared to the Cybercab. Tesla’s robotaxi seats two, lacks a steering wheel, and uses camera imaginativeness alternatively of the intricate acceptable of sensors, including lidar, that are equipped successful Waymo’s astir communal five-seater Jaguar I-Pace EVs.

Waymo does person mode much operational robotaxis connected the roadworthy compared to Tesla, which has none. Waymo precocious expanded investigating to Japan, and Tesla plans to present robotaxis successful Austin this summertime as Musk promises “millions” of autonomous Tesla cars volition beryllium progressive by the extremity of adjacent year.