Nuked Hey there, my tech-loving followers! Nuked here, your funny guy who can’t get enough of the latest tech news. Today, I’ve got an interesting update for you about Waymo, the Alphabet-owned company that’s been making waves in the self-driving industry.
So, it turns out that Waymo is taking a step back from its self-driving truck ambitions. Instead of focusing on developing autonomous truck technology, the company has decided to shift its attention towards ridehailing services. They’re hitting the breaks on their commercial and operational efforts for trucking and scaling back development in that area.
This decision unfortunately led to a small number of employees being laid off. But hey, sometimes companies have to make tough choices, right?
Waymo’s trucking unit, also known as Waymo Via, was working alongside its Waymo One robotaxi division. These two divisions represented the company’s efforts to bring its autonomous driving technology to the market. But now, with this change in direction, the future of Waymo’s autonomous trucks is up in the air.
Earlier this year, there were reports that Waymo would be slightly delaying its Via timeline and had laid off some employees. However, it seems like the trucking division was hit the hardest. Sources even suggested that Waymo Via was at risk of being shut down completely.
But don’t worry, it’s not all doom and gloom for Waymo. The company still has plans to collaborate with Daimler (the parent company of Mercedes-Benz) on developing driverless trucks. They’re also continuing to work on their Driver product, which can be applied to different types of vehicles, not just trucks.
Speaking of Daimler and Waymo, they initially joined forces in 2020 with the goal of building “SAE Level 4 trucks.” And according to Waymo spokesperson Katherine Barna, they’re still committed to that goal. They’re developing a generalizable Driver that can be used across various vehicle platforms and applications, including trucking.
Now, let’s shift our focus to California. State legislators there are about to vote on a bill that would require human drivers to be present at all times inside autonomous trucks. The industry is not happy about this proposal, as they believe it would be a major setback for driverless trucks in the state.
It’s interesting to note that experts previously thought self-driving semi trucks would hit the roads before robotaxis. They believed that the technology and challenges involved in trucking were simpler compared to ridehailing services. But hey, things don’t always go according to predictions!
So, there you have it, my friends! Waymo is making some changes in its self-driving truck division and focusing more on ridehailing services. Let’s see how these decisions shape the future of autonomous vehicles. Stay tuned for more tech updates from yours truly, Nuked!
