Waymo has long been considered the US leader in self-driving vehicles, and parent Google before it when Waymo wasn’t yet a brand. Well, I guess there are many people who have considered Tesla the leader for the past several years, but that is based on the assumption that Tesla’s approach is fundamentally better and all the improvements it’s making will suddenly make it leap ahead of Waymo very soon. The problem is that people who have believed that have generally been waiting for that leapfrog moment for almost a decade. Anyway, getting back to Waymo, one issue the company has had is that its self-driving vehicle system — hardware and software — isn’t exactly cheap. Put another way, it’s expensive. (This is one of the arguments Tesla bulls have had against it.) The various sensors, the expensive cars, the years of R&D — it all adds up to a lot more than a human driving people around in a Nissan LEAF or Toyota Prius. So, how will Waymo ever compete? The general idea is that Waymo will just drive costs down as it scales up service, and that will eventually lead to lower costs than a human driver requires. But there’s another option that has gotten almost no attention — charging more for a better experience and more features! Perhaps for a better overall service, people will just pay more. Waymo just introduced Waymo Premier today, and that’s what this seems to be about. “As we scale and bring our fully autonomous ride-hailing service to more people across the globe, we continue to refine the Waymo experience and deliver more for our riders. You spoke, and we listened to how we can offer an even more elevated experience for you, our top riders. Introducing: Waymo Premier,” the company started off. “Waymo Premier is a new invite-only membership program built for those who rely on us most. For a monthly fee, members gain access to a suite of exclusive benefits designed to make their journey more seamless and rewarding: Priority Pickups: Skip the line with prioritized matching Ride Savings: Earn 10% Waymo Cash back on every trip, and even more during busy times. Early Access: Be among the first to experience Waymo in new cities, as we expand. Flexible Cancellations: Peace of mind with up to five free cancellations per month.” Hmm, that does sound nice. For people who want a reliable, easy-to-use, flexible chauffeur service that offers peace, quiet, privacy, and the feeling of being treated like a very special person — without all the hassle of car insurance, a place to park, having to clean the car, etc. — this sounds like a nearly perfect offering, doesn’t it? Perhaps you don’t have enough money for a Rolls-Royce and your own personal driver, but this isn’t a bad alternative. They even throw in a cash back feature like we all love, and it’s 10%! I mean, frankly, they’re getting me hooked on this concept fast. Now, admittedly, it’s not super cheap. It’s $30/month. That’s on top of whatever you have to pay for each ride you take. But I presume they will find plenty of rich customers in large cities who don’t hesitate to pay that amount for these benefits. It’s initially launching in San Francisco, Los Angeles, and Phoenix. Naturally, the program will expand to other cities over time. Also, yes, if you become a Waymo Premier member, you get these benefits in any city where it’s active. The company has provided one customer testimonial that I’m sure mentions all the things the company has heard people value in a Waymo. The testimonial encourages people to get on board with paying extra for this Premier service. “I never got my driver’s license, and I rely on Waymo to commute to an office every day,” said Sarah Paige Roland, a Waymo rider in Phoenix. “I get privacy, time back, a safe ride, and I’m not obligated to talk to someone that I don’t want to talk to. Adding cash back and priority pickups on top of that makes Premier a no-brainer for someone like me.” Well, I mean, it is hard to argue against all of those benefits and the appeal of getting around town like this. Supplement it with some local biking that keeps you healthy and fit, and you’ve got a good recipe for the most enjoyable transportation patterns possible.
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