Walking the streets of San Francisco, it is common to spot a Waymo vehicle driving on city roads. These self-driving cars exploded in popularity since the company introduced Waymo over the summer, and Urban students increasingly use them as a means of transportation.
Publicly available self-driving cars function similarly to ridesharing apps such as Uber and Lyft. Currently, Waymo vehicles dominate the self-driving vehicle industry. “At this point, the fully autonomous driving industry is really just an industry of one: Waymo,” said Former Chief Executive of Waymo John Krafcik in an interview with the New York Times.
Waymo’s main competitor, Cruise, took its cars off the streets months ago. An article from The New York Times said, “[Cruise’s] efforts to compete in autonomous driving with Waymo … suffered a significant setback a year ago when a Cruise car in San Francisco struck a woman who had been knocked into its path by another vehicle.”
Self-driving vehicles often serve as tourist attractions. “It’s kind of a novelty, where everybody wants to try it,” Giulia Campos ‘27 said. “My aunt came from New Mexico and she kept seeing [Waymo vehicles], and when we went in one she said that it was really bizarre.”
Many Urban students use Waymo vehicles instead of public transit to travel around the city. “[Waymos] are definitely more efficient. There’s no concern of ‘Am I gonna miss this bus?’ I’ve had instances where I’ve been running late to something … so I take a Waymo,” Campos said.
While other ridesharing apps are available, some Urban students have safety concerns regarding those services. With no person behind the wheel, Waymo guarantees there will not be unsafe encounters with drivers.
“With Uber, you don’t know who the driver is, and it could be someone who’s … not safe to be with,” Emma Spivak ‘27 said. “With Waymo, every Waymo you get is going to be the same … you don’t have to have any human interaction.”
However, riding in Waymos does not eliminate all dangers. The cars’ artificial intelligence can lag, causing worry for passengers. “I’ve been in a [Waymo] and it freaked out and wasn’t able to merge lanes. It started saying ‘Help is on its way!’ and [the alert] made me feel stressed and unsure,” Campos said.
While self-driving vehicles like Waymo are relatively new, their cost is not much of a problem for customers. “Riding in a futuristic robocar sounds like it should cost a ton — but it doesn’t,” wrote a Washington Post comparison of Waymo and Uber. “In fact, in our ride testing, we often found that Waymos were the ones we ultimately paid the least for.”
Some Urban students use Waymo vehicles for the freedom it gives them as passengers. “It’s convenient … and you don’t have to talk to other people. You just get in and can play your own music. I like that. It makes me feel independent,” Spivak said.
