A car pulled up to Balboa Park this week with no one behind the wheel, and it could soon be a common sight across San Diego.Waymo, the driverless ride-hailing company owned by Google's parent company Alphabet, is currently offering rides to its own employees in San Diego as it prepares for a public launch later this year. CBS 8 went along for a ride in one of the company's Zeekr RT minivans, branded the "Ojai" model, to see what riders can expect.To hail a ride, users open the Waymo app, similar to Uber or Lyft. Sandy Karp, a Waymo spokesperson, showed CBS 8 how the process works, including a feature that lets riders input their initials, which then display on the roof of the car so they can identify their vehicle among others.AdvertisementAdvertisementInside, an electronic voice greets riders, and passengers press a button to unlock the doors and buckle their seatbelts. From there, the car pulls away with no hands on the wheel.The vehicle relies on sensors mounted around the exterior to navigate. Karp said the system has 360-degree vision and can detect objects up to 500 meters away in any direction, in a range of lighting and weather conditions.Waymo did not disclose whether it experienced any mishaps during its San Diego testing period. When asked how the Waymo Driver has handled San Diego's roads specifically, Karp told CBS 8 the system benefits from years of experience already gained in San Francisco and Los Angeles, saying "a red light's a red light, no matter if you're in NorCal or SoCal." She added that testing has shown more similarities than differences between San Diego and those markets, with the focus now on making sure the ride matches rider expectations for comfort.If something goes wrong, Karp said the car isn't entirely on its own. The company uses what it calls "fleet response," a support system that allows remote staff to assist the vehicle in real time if it encounters an unexpected situation, such as an emergency vehicle or a stalled situation on train tracks.AdvertisementAdvertisementWaymo plans to launch publicly in San Diego later this year, initially covering more than 40 square miles, according to the company. The California Public Utilities Commission recently granted Waymo approval to charge passengers for fully driverless rides in San Diego, clearing the final regulatory hurdle before a public launch. The company has not yet activated its consumer app for San Diego riders or announced an exact launch date.The service area is expected to include destinations such as Pacific Beach, Mission Bay, Little Italy, Kearny Mesa and neighborhoods near National City, with plans to expand over time.Karp said the Ojai model is not officially certified as wheelchair accessible, though the vehicle's interior is spacious enough to accommodate one. Riders can control temperature, seat recline and music from an in-car touchscreen, which also connects to Google's Gemini AI assistant.Waymo says it does not plan to bring any other vehicle model to San Diego at this time. The company is also expanding driverless service to Las Vegas, Denver and Tampa.What about cost?Waymo would not provide exact pricing for San Diego, saying only that fares would be competitive with other ride-hailing services. A pricing analysis published by ride-hailing data firm Obi found that, nationally, Waymo rides run about 12-27% more expensive than a comparable Uber ride on average. Unlike traditional rideshare drivers, Waymo does not accept tips.San Diego Police, Waymo respond to questions on oversightCBS 8 reached out to the San Diego Police Department about how it plans to handle interactions with driverless vehicles. A department spokesperson said SDPD does not yet have official policies in place.AdvertisementAdvertisementWaymo, meanwhile, pointed to company-wide safety data when asked about its performance. A spokesperson told CBS 8: "The Waymo Driver is improving road safety in the cities we serve, with 94% fewer injury-causing collisions compared to human drivers."
+68 others
