Waymo Rolls Into London With Driverless Jaguars
Waymo, the self-driving car arm of Google parent Alphabet Inc, has boldly announced its arrival in London. The firm shared a slick snap of its autonomous Jaguar I-Pace cruising past the world-famous Abbey Road zebra crossing.
“The Waymo Driver has landed in London! We’re gearing up to deliver our safe, reliable, and downright magical driverless ride-hailing service to the city next year,” the company declared.
High-Tech Cars That Never Tire or Get Distracted
The secret weapon? Waymo’s brainy ‘Waymo Driver’ software, which “never gets drunk, tired, or distracted.” These cars are kitted out with a lethal combo of cameras, radar, and 3D lidar scanners that can detect objects up to 500 metres away from every angle.
Currently, human safety drivers keep a close eye behind the wheel as testing continues around London. The plan? To ditch the drivers altogether once the tech is fully trialled.
London’s Boroughs to Host Intensive Testing
Waymo’s testing playground is spread across a vast swathe of London including Barking and Dagenham, Camden, Hackney, Hammersmith and Fulham, Kensington and Chelsea, and Westminster – to name just a few.
Interestingly, the cars still have left-hand drive steering wheels, designed for US roads where traffic drives on the right, a quirky reminder of its American origins.
Government Backs Self-Driving Revolution
Last week, the Department for Transport kicked off a new consultation to shape rules around autonomous vehicles. This follows last year’s groundbreaking law that made way for driverless cars on UK roads.
The UK government is bullish on the sector, predicting up to 38,000 new jobs and a £42 billion boost to the economy by 2035 thanks to self-driving tech.
