Waymo Launches Ride-Hailing Service for Teenagers

According to Bloomberg, Waymo, the self-driving subsidiary of Alphabet, has recently launched a new service allowing teenagers aged 14 to 17 to independently hail and ride in its autonomous taxis. This initiative aims to expand its user base and continue testing its self-driving taxi service in more cities across the United States. Starting from July 8, teenagers can create a user profile linked to their parents' accounts. The service will initially roll out in the Phoenix metropolitan area and is planned to expand to other cities in the future. Waymo stated that specially trained customer service staff will be available for teenage passengers to contact parents when necessary. If teenagers choose to share their rides, parents can also track the ride status in real-time. This differs from Uber's approach, which allows parents to automatically receive notifications and track ride progress. However, the current service offered by Waymo significantly differs from previous proposals, as it allows teenagers unlimited rides, though they must actively opt into the ride-sharing feature. Last year, the company tested consumer acceptance of a subscription plan limiting the number of rides for teenagers, which included automatic ride-sharing in a higher-tier service level. A spokesperson explained, 'Our user experience research typically includes various service options and pricing structures, but these suggestions may not necessarily be adopted.' This new project marks further expansion of Waymo's ride-hailing services. The company currently operates over 1,500 autonomous vehicles and completes more than 250,000 paid passenger rides per week, a fourfold increase year-on-year. Waymo has announced plans to launch its self-driving taxi service in Miami and Washington next year, while collecting data and conducting road tests in several markets, including New York City. It was reported that Waymo generated $450 million in revenue in the first quarter of this year. By expanding services to a broader demographic, Waymo aims to better compete with Uber, which launched its own teen service in 2023 and claimed significant success among U.S. users. In February, Uber reported a more than 50% quarter-on-quarter increase in teen rides in the last quarter of the previous year and has since launched its teen service in 50 countries worldwide. Waymo and Uber have collaborated in Austin and Atlanta, where Waymo rides can only be booked through the Uber app. However, teens with Uber accounts cannot currently participate in Waymo's teen program in these markets. A Waymo spokesperson indicated that future access for teenagers might be considered through their network partners. In California, where Waymo currently operates paid services through its app (covering San Francisco and Los Angeles), existing policies still prohibit unaccompanied minors from riding in autonomous vehicles. A spokesperson mentioned that if regulations allow in the future, they may introduce a teen account service. After the California Public Utilities Commission mandated last December that all drivers picking up unaccompanied minors must enter fingerprint information, Uber subsequently terminated its teen ride service in California. Waymo has demonstrated through extensive real-world testing data and peer-reviewed research that its autonomous driving system outperforms human drivers in avoiding collisions. However, the company has faced some incidents in the past, including a dog death incident, which necessitated a review of its technology or a vehicle recall.