{"id":96664,"date":"2025-07-06T06:06:39","date_gmt":"2025-07-06T06:06:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/neclink.com\/index.php\/2025\/07\/06\/waymo-driverless-taxis-roam-los-angeles\/"},"modified":"2025-07-06T06:06:39","modified_gmt":"2025-07-06T06:06:39","slug":"waymo-driverless-taxis-roam-los-angeles","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/neclink.com\/index.php\/2025\/07\/06\/waymo-driverless-taxis-roam-los-angeles\/","title":{"rendered":"Waymo driverless taxis roam Los Angeles\u00a0"},"content":{"rendered":"


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Would you hop into a car that pulled in at the curb to pick you up \u2013 with no driver in the driver seat? In fact no one in the car at all.<\/p>\n

And if you would, would you sit in the front passenger seat or in the back like a regular taxi?<\/p>\n

I\u2019ve just been back to Santa Monica, Los Angeles checking out a bunch of lovely new restautants and bars<\/a> worth visiting, and was quite alarmed to see these weird looking cars with whirly gigs on their roofs driving around.<\/p>\n

As of June 2025 there are over 100 of these Waymo driverless taxis<\/a> roaming 120sq miles of LA. They\u2019re also in Austin, San Francisco, Phoenix and Atlanta, with Miami and Washington DC to come soon.<\/p>\n

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\"Waymo\"Waymo
Waymo cruising the streets of Santa Monica<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n

The company is owned by Google, in collaboration with Jaguar and Toyota. This car is an electric Jaguar I-PACE.<\/p>\n

The way you use them is you download the Waymo app like Uber, then use the app to call the car. You input where you want to go for up to 4 people, then when it arrives you unlock the door with the app. <\/p>\n

Once you\u2019re in, and buckled up, you tap \u2018start ride\u2019 and a map will pop up on the screen so you can follow the journey. You also use the app to adjust the temperature, play your own music or podcast or listen to the car\u2019s own playlist.<\/p>\n

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\"Hailing\"Hailing
Hailing a Waymo<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n

At this stage they do not go to LAX or I might have had the nerves to try it, but speaking to the manager at my hotel, he has ridden them around Santa Monica. He said they\u2019re quite slow\u2026 they follow the road rules! No zipping up the inside to nip into the gap you can see ahead. They also stick to the speed limit ;D<\/p>\n

The car itself is covered in bells and whistles. Gadgets spin and whir, cameras check its surroundings at all times.<\/p>\n

I\u2019ll give it a go next time. Have you been in one yet?<\/p>\n