Waymo Taps Avis To Manage Robotaxi Fleet In Dallas

Waymo said it plans to motorboat a robotaxi work adjacent twelvemonth successful Dallas, nan latest metropolis to beryllium added to nan Alphabet-owned company’s increasing commercialized footprint that already includes Los Angeles and San Francisco.

This clip around, Waymo is partnering pinch Avis Budget Group to negociate its fleet of all-electric autonomous Jaguar I-Pace vehicles. Avis will grip wide depot operations, including charging and maintaining nan vehicles. Users will beryllium capable to hail a robotaxi done nan Waymo app.

Waymo has collaborated pinch different companies before, including Uber successful Austin and Atlanta and Moove successful Phoenix. Avis is nan first rental car institution to thief Waymo negociate its fleet. And it’s a business that will apt widen to different cities successful nan future.

Waymo spokesperson Chris Bonelli said Avis will play a ample successful domiciled helping nan institution standard its exertion to caller markets faster and much cost-effectively. He added that Waymo and Avis Budget Group intend to grow to much cities together complete time.

Close followers of Waymo whitethorn not beryllium amazed by nan Dallas motorboat announcement. Earlier this year, Waymo took 1 of its alleged “road trips” to Dallas, wherever nan institution utilized its sensor-laden vehicles to representation nan metropolis and behaviour first testing. Since then, Waymo has started testing its autonomous vehicles connected nationalist roads pinch a quality information usability down nan wheel. As it has successful each different metropolis it has launched in, Waymo will advancement to afloat autonomous testing erstwhile its tech has been further validated connected Dallas streets.

Bonelli wouldn’t disclose precise motorboat dates aliases really galore vehicles would beryllium successful nan first robotaxi fleet. He did opportunity Waymo will standard nan fleet pinch Avis to hundreds of vehicles complete time.

Avis Budget Group CEO Brian Choi said nan business marks a “pivotal milestone successful its evolution, from a rental car institution to a starring supplier of fleet management, infrastructure and operations to nan broader mobility ecosystem.”

Today, Waymo operates commercially successful 5 cities: Austin, Atlanta, Los Angeles, Phoenix, and nan San Francisco Bay Area, which extends into Silicon Valley. The institution plans to motorboat its commercialized robotaxi work adjacent twelvemonth successful Washington, D.C., and Miami.