Alphabet-owned Waymo has officially unveiled its latest generation of self-driving ride-sharing vehicles, which the company says will reduce production costs and offer range, computing power and more.
Waymo announced its 6th generation driver system in a press release on Monday, saying the new vehicle platform significantly reduces costs and improves range, processing power and resolution, as well as adding new features. The new vehicle follows the company’s 5th generation platform, which is based on the Jaguar I-Pace and first introduced in 2020.
The Geely-owned Zeekr automaker’s Driver platform features a more upright SUV build than previous I-Pace crossovers, and Waymo points out that it was actually able to reduce the number of sensors included in the platform compared to the previous 5th generation vehicle. The company says the reduction in sensors was made possible by “advances in sensor technology and strategic placement.”
We recently introduced our 6th generation Waymo Driver. Today, our Vice President of Engineering, Satish Jeyachandran, shares insights on how this next-generation system will advance Waymo’s business. https://t.co/NP5q3AID1Y pic.twitter.com/tNeDJdzWPG
— Waymo (@Waymo) 19 August 2024
It includes a combination of 16 cameras, four lidar sensors and six radar sensors as well as six external audio receivers (EARs). According to Waymo, the overlapping fields of view should be able to capture the vehicle’s surroundings up to 500 meters away, regardless of whether it is day, night or in bad weather.
The company also says the next-generation driver already has thousands of miles of real-world driving experience and has logged millions more miles in simulated driving.
The news follows Waymo’s recent expansion into larger areas in the San Francisco Bay Area and Los Angeles County, for which the company received approval earlier this month. In June, the company also opened its Waymo One ride-sharing platform in San Francisco to the public, eliminating the need for prospective riders in the region to join a waitlist to book self-driving rides.
Like many companies working on driverless technology, Waymo has faced some scrutiny from regulators and local communities in the past. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is currently conducting a preliminary investigation into Waymo due to a series of incidents in which the company’s vehicles disregarded traffic laws or collided with stationary objects.
When approval was obtained for the first expansion to Los Angeles in March, some municipalities and transportation organizations also protested the decision. Waymo has continued to work closely with regulators in recent months and has received several expansion permits despite the protests.
Waymo could face new legal obstacles in its expansion to Los Angeles
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