On October 10, Tesla gave the public a glimpse at its “Robotaxi” which CEO Elon Musk “has promised (...) will be able to ferry passengers to any destination without human intervention, a feat that other companies have achieved in just a few places, like Phoenix and San Francisco,” there can be no denying that self-driving cars or autonomous vehicles (AV) will continue to grow in prominence and play an ever-increasing role in the future of our cities.
Currently, the Greater Phoenix area is the largest autonomous ride-hailing area in the United States, surpassing another AV capital, San Francisco. As of June 5, 2024, users of the AV service Waymo, owned by Alphabet, the parent company of Google, can now hail a ride across a whopping 315 square miles of The Valley. Waymo’s territory now extends from the tip of North Scottsdale and North Phoenix as far as Desert Ridge and as far south and east as Chandler and Mesa. Riding in an AV can also be done with ever-increasing ease, as Waymo’s partnership with Uber as of October 2023 now allows users of the Uber app to order an available Waymo without downloading the Waymo app.
Phoenix was the first city in the United States to open fully autonomous Waymo rides to the general public in October 2020, showcasing Phoenix’s willingness to embrace the future and new technologies in the spirit of pioneering and the “Wild West.” San Francisco followed suit two years later, allowing the general public access to fully autonomous rides.
“Metro Phoenix holds a special place in Waymo’s history and our hearts,” said Waymo Chief Product Officer Saswat Panigrahi in a press release. “It’s a privilege to continue serving Phoenicians and visitors alike, and our team is excited to offer access to even more popular destinations across The Valley.”
Waymo’s relationship with The Valley is likely to grow as it was announced in August that Magna, a Canadian automobile manufacturer, would be assembling thousands of Waymo’s at Magna’s massive manufacturing facility in Mesa as part of a large expansion effort by Waymo. Waymo also announced in early October a new multi-year strategic partnership with Hyundai, integrating Waymo’s technology into Hyundai cars to eventually be added to Waymo’s growing fleet. Other companies will surely begin developing AVs, if they haven’t already, or engage in partnerships with existing AV manufacturers. For those looking to get their foot in the door of the autonomous vehicle revolution, choosing Phoenix as a place to operate over the likes of cities such as San Francisco may be a smart move, given Phoenix’s early approval and implementation of new technology and having the largest AV service area in the country.
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