Alphabet's Waymo Tests New Robotaxi With 6th-Gen Autonomous Hardware As Self-Driving Race Heats Up

Alphabet Inc.'s GOOGL GOOG autonomous ride-hailing company Waymo has begun testing its new Robotaxi with sixth-generation self-driving hardware.

Multiple Cameras, Radar Systems And LiDAR

The new hardware on the Robotaxi features over 13 cameras, as well as 6 radar systems and 4 LiDAR sensors onboard, influencer Sawyer Merritt shared in a post on social media platform X on Monday, posting a video of the AV in action.

The video showcases the vehicle driving on the road with the presence of a safety driver on board. The new Waymo Robotaxi will also have "heaters, wipers and sprayers" to keep the self-driving tech clean.

Uber Customers Ditching Human Drivers For Waymo, Elon Musk’s Robotaxi Target

Waymo's testing follows instances of customers on Uber Technologies Inc.'s UBER ride-hailing platform ditching rides with human drivers in favor of Waymos in Atlanta, highlighting the increasing popularity of self-driving cabs in the U.S.

On the other hand, Tesla Inc. TSLA CEO Elon Musk has laid out an ambitious target for the company’s Robotaxi efforts, aiming to serve over half the population of the U.S. by the end of the year, Musk said at Tesla’s second-quarter earnings call.

Former Waymo CEO Criticizes Tesla Amid Ride-Hailing Expansion

Meanwhile, former Waymo CEO John Krafcik criticized Tesla's autonomous cab efforts, claiming that the vehicles weren't real Robotaxis because Tesla has a safety driver onboard at all times.

Krafcik's criticism follows Tesla's ride-hailing service kickstarting its operations in the San Francisco Bay Area in California. However, the company operates the service in a limited capacity via an invite-only system for now.

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