- Waymo plans to deploy 2,000 extra Jaguar I-Tempo EVs to its autonomous fleet by 2026, it stated on Monday.
- It presently has 1,500 of them.
- Waymo presents driverless rides in San Francisco, Phoenix, Los Angeles and Austin.
The smooth Jaguar I-Tempo hit the streets in 2018 as one of many first trendy electrical efforts from an organization that wasn’t Tesla. And although Jag axed the pioneering mannequin from its lineup final 12 months, Waymo is not completed with it but.
Alphabet’s self-driving taxi firm will deploy 2,000 extra autonomous I-Paces to its robotaxi service by the tip of 2026, it stated in a Monday press launch. The agency additionally stated it presently has 1,500 of them ferrying passengers round in numerous U.S. cities, which is notable as a result of Waymo does not sometimes like to speak overtly in regards to the dimension of its fleet.
Waymo plans to construct 2,000 extra autonomous Jaguar I-Paces at a brand new facility in Mesa, Arizona.
Photograph by: Waymo
Backside line: Waymo is already, far and away, America’s chief in commercialized self-driving tech, with precise driverless vehicles working in a number of U.S. cities. And it plans to greater than double its fleet of I-Paces by the tip of subsequent 12 months.
Waymo stated it took its closing supply from Jaguar earlier this 12 months. It can outfit the I-Paces with its autonomous-driving {hardware} at a brand new manufacturing facility in Mesa, Arizona that it introduced on Monday.
It operates the ability in partnership with Magna, the contract automotive producer that assembles such automobiles because the Mercedes-Benz G-Wagen and Toyota GR Supra. (It additionally made the Fisker Ocean, RIP) Up till late 2024, it additionally made the I-Tempo. The ability opened for enterprise final fall and has since ramped up manufacturing, a Waymo spokesperson informed InsideEVs.
Over time, Magna and Waymo will pump out autonomous automobiles primarily based on different platforms in Mesa. That begins with the Chinese language-made Zeekr RT van later this 12 months, Waymo stated. Waymo additionally plans to combine autonomous Hyundai Ioniq 5 crossovers into its fleet, however a spokesperson declined to share the place Waymo will make these. Finally, Waymo plans to construct “tens of hundreds” of automobiles per 12 months on the facility, it stated on Monday.
“The Waymo Driver integration plant in Mesa is the epicenter of our future development plans,” Ryan McNamara, Waymo’s vice chairman of operations, stated in a press release.
After effectively over a decade of growth, Alphabet’s wager on self-driving expertise appears to be paying off. Driverless Waymo automobiles now ferry round paying clients in San Francisco, Phoenix, Los Angeles and Austin. And the service is increasing quick, whereas rivals both shut up store (Normal Motors’ Cruise) or stay in growth purgatory (Tesla).
Waymo says it now logs 250,000 paid rides per week. And it plans to launch service to Atlanta, Washington, D.C. and Miami in 2026.
Received a tip in regards to the EV or AV world? Contact the writer: Tim.Levin@InsideEVs.com
