Alphabet-owned driverless car firm Waymo has announced plans to bring its planned taxi service to Europe.
Speaking at the Automotive News Europe Congress in Turin, Waymo CEO John Krafcik says the European market presents different opportunities to its US homeland.
Krafcik says Waymo wants to experiment with different strategies, including possibly ditching the brand name for any European expansion.
He said (via Reuters): “There is an opportunity for us at Waymo to experiment here in Europe, with different products and maybe even with different go-to-market strategies. It’s possible we will take a very different approach here than we would in the U.S.
“It’s probably safe to say the Waymo brand wouldn’t be as strong as some other existing incumbent brands that are already strong in Europe.”
The Waymo boss reiterated plans to fully launch the robotaxi service in Phoenix, Arizona, in the coming months. The firm is currently trialling the initiative in the US city, with some folks even falling asleep during the test drives.
“The world keeps saying that self-driving cars are coming soon. We are doing this, today, in Phoenix, driving without humans in the front row. Sometimes I feel like the world hasn’t quite reckoned with that thought,” the Waymo boss added.
Back in March, Waymo announced a partnership with Jaguar Land Rover, with a special edition version of the electric I-PACE. Plans are afoot to create 20,000 of self-driving I-PACE cars. The firm has also revealed how it the cars are learning to drive in the snow.
Are you ready for driverless taxis to get you where you need to be? Let us know @TrustedReviews on Twitter.
Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
