Users will also be able to hail a robotaxi through the Waymo app. Waymo has also partnered with other companies before, including Uber in Austin and Atlanta, as well as Moove in Phoenix. Avis is, however, the first rental car company to help Waymo manage its fleet. Resulting in a partnership that will likely extend over more cities and regions.
A Waymo spokesperson, Chris Bonelli, reported that Avis will play a large role in the process of helping the company scale its technology to new markets faster and more cost-effectively. He also mentioned that Waymo and Avis Budget Group intend to expand to more cities together over time.
Waymo’s close followers might also not necessarily be surprised by the Dallas launch announcement. Earlier this year, Waymo also took one of its road trips to Dallas, where the company used its sensor-laden vehicles to map the city and conduct initial testing. Since then, Waymo will progress to fully autonomous testing once its tech has been further validated on Dallas streets.
Boneli will not, however, expose the launch dates or how many vehicles would be in the initial robotaxi fleet. He did mention how Waymo will scale the fleet with Avis to hundreds of vehicles over time.
As a response, Avis Budget Group CEO Brian Choi said the partnership marks a “pivotal milestone in its evolution, from a rental car company to a leading provider of fleet management, infrastructure, and operations to the broader mobility ecosystem.”
Today, Waymo operates commercially in five cities: Austin, Atlanta, Los Angeles, Phoenix, and the San Francisco Bay Area, which extends into Silicon Valley. The company also plans to launch its commercial robotaxi service next year in Washington, DC, and Miami, reported TechCrunch.
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