World first as Waymo’s self-driving taxi service opens to the public
Many people think the future takes a long time to arrive, when in matter of fact it's arriving faster than it ever has in the past, and now that Waymo's service is live others will quickly follow.
Key takeaways
- The ride of their lives? Waymo CEO John Krafick released a video and talked about the move during a session Tuesday at the South By Southwest conference in Austin.
- Waymo first began testing its self-driving Chrysler Pacifica minivans in Chandler in 2016, then in last April, the company launched an early rider program that let real people in the Phoenix area use an app to hail one.
- Waymo then took the program to the next level last November and removed employees, and passengers, from its test fleet, sending dozens of empty self-driving minivans onto the streets of greater Phoenix.
Cite or link to this article
Griffin, M. (2018) 'World first as Waymo’s self-driving taxi service opens to the public', 311 Institute, 14 March. Available at: https://www.311institute.com/world-first-as-waymos-self-driving-taxi-service-opens-to-the-public/ (Accessed: 1 October 2026).
Self-driving taxis, the type that stay on the ground and not in the air like the sky taxi's in Dubai, are finally here, and what I mean by here is that, depending on where you live, you can now use an app, call one up, get in, take a ride, and get out, and all without needing to be part of a “special testing program,” or with an “assistant driver.” I’m talking real bonafide rides. Welcome to the future.
Chandler, Tempe, Ahwatukee, and Mesa are Phoenix suburbs with near perfect grids that are dotted with homes and big box stores, the occasional golf course, and the state’s largest university, and they are now the proving grounds for a major development in autonomous transportation because this is where self-driving vehicle company Waymo, a Google spinoff owned by parent company Alphabet, has started rolling out it’s self-driving taxi service, with the authorities blessings, without a human test driver behind the wheel.
The ride of their lives?
Waymo CEO John Krafick released a video and talked about the move during a session Tuesday at the South By Southwest conference in Austin.
It’s a watershed moment for a company that has been working toward this goal for nearly a decade. Waymo first began testing its self-driving Chrysler Pacifica minivans in Chandler in 2016, then in last April, the company launched an early rider program that let real people in the Phoenix area use an app to hail one. But these rides always had a human behind the wheel, just in case.
Waymo then took the program to the next level last November and removed employees, and passengers, from its test fleet, sending dozens of empty self-driving minivans onto the streets of greater Phoenix. Now, early riders have the ability to hail one and hop in, and before long, perhaps, so will the rest of us when they come to a town near you…
For now, the driverless rider program is small but over time it’ll grow considerably. In January, Fiat Chrysler said it will supply Waymo with “thousands” of modified Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid minivans as the startup prepares to launch a self-driving taxi service, and that’s just the beginning with Ford, Uber and others announcing similar roll out plans by 2021.
Like I said, the future has arrived, and it’s landed in Phoenix.
FAQ
Why does this matter?
Many people think the future takes a long time to arrive, when in matter of fact it's arriving faster than it ever has in the past, and now that Waymo's service is live others will quickly follow.
About the author
Matthew Griffin Founder, 311 Institute
Matthew Griffin is a multi-award winning Futurist and expert in Disruption and Innovation, Geopolitics, Leadership, and Technology, who NASA have described as a "walking encyclopaedia of the future" and a "futurist Polymath."
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Matthew Griffin is a multi-award winning Futurist and expert in Disruption and Innovation, Geopolitics, Leadership, and Technology, who NASA have described as a "walking encyclopaedia of the future" and a "futurist Polymath." 15-time best selling author of the "Codex of the Future" series, Matthew is the Founder and Futurist in Chief of the 311 Institute, a global Futures and Deep Futures advisory firm working with royal households, world leaders, G7, G20, and G77 governments, NGOs, and multi-national mid and mega cap firms to help them explore, shape, and lead the next 50 years of business and society.
An award-winning YouTube creator with over a million followers, with an unrivalled global reach and impact, Matthew is a highly sought-after international keynote speaker, lecturer, and mentor who collaborates with global leaders through the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations (UNAOC) and United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) to shape pivotal initiatives such as the UN’s AI for Humanity program, the United Nations Conference of the Parties (UN COP), and the World Economic Forum in Davos.
As the former Global Head of Cloud, National Security, and Enterprise Sales for companies including Atos, Dell-EMC, and IBM, Matthew has a proven track record of building multi-billion dollar business units and turning failing divisions into market leaders. His ability to identify, analyse, and communicate the implications of hundreds of emerging technologies and trends is unparalleled, and his insights are trusted by many of the world’s most respected organisations, including ABB, Accenture, Adidas, AON, ARM, BCG, Centrica, Citi, Coca-Cola, Dentons, Deloitte, Dow Jones, EY, Google, KPMG, Lego, Legal & General, LinkedIn, Microsoft, PepsiCo, Qualcomm, RWE, Samsung, Siemens AG and Siemens Energy, T-Mobile, UBS, VISA, Walmart, Workday, Worldpay and many others.
Regularly featured in the global media including the AP, BBC, Bloomberg, CNBC, Discovery, Forbes, Khaleej Times, Telegraph, TIME, ViacomCBS, WIRED, and the WSJ, Matthews mission is to help organisations create a fair and sustainable future whose benefits are shared by everyone irrespective of their ability, background, or circumstances.
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Source: first published by the 311 Institute on 14 March 2018. Cite as: Griffin, M. (2018). World first as Waymo’s self-driving taxi service opens to the public. 311 Institute. https://www.311institute.com/world-first-as-waymos-self-driving-taxi-service-opens-to-the-public/
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