Waymo LLC on Tuesday signaled a large expansion of its robot taxi fleet as the company prepares to open its driverless ride-hailing service to the general public.
The self-driving tech unit of Google-parent Alphabet Inc. revealed an agreement to acquire thousands of minivans from Fiat Chrysler Automobiles FCAU -1.41% NV for delivery beginning later this year.
The auto maker had previously provided 600 Pacifica minivans to Waymo, which has equipped cars with its driverless technology in 25 U.S. cities, including most recently in Atlanta, for testing.
Since October, Waymo has tested the minivans without people behind the steering wheel in suburban Phoenix, where the weather is sunny and in a state receptive to the technology. The company announced in November plans to begin giving rides to select residents as part of a public trial.
On Tuesday, Waymo said it expects to open the ride-hailing service to the general public in the Phoenix area this year as a commercial service. During a demonstration in October, the minivans had screens welcoming customers aboard and instructing them to push a blue “start ride” button on the ceiling. The vans otherwise seem like any other, except for its empty front seats.
“With the world’s first fleet of fully self-driving vehicles on the road, we’ve moved from research and development, to operations and deployment,” John Krafcik, Waymo’s chief executive, said in a statement.
Waymo is facing increasing pressure from auto makers and other tech companies to commercialize the fast-developing technology.
General Motors Co. , the largest U.S. auto maker by sales, has said it aims to run a large-scale fleet of driverless cars in big cities in 2019 while Volvo Cars said in November it has an agreement to supply ride-hailing firm Uber Technologies Inc. with a fleet of 24,000 self-driving vehicles beginning in 2019.