How does Waymo compare to a human rideshare driver?
It was my first time riding a Waymo driverless taxi.
- Waymo’s driverless robotaxis operate in cities including Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Phoenix.
- The company announced plans to add Detroit to its list of cities served.
It was a Sunday morning in Los Angeles late last month, and my photographer and I had to go to the Los Angeles Auto Show.
For the past few days, we’ve been seeing unmistakable white Waymo vehicles equipped with various visible sensors on city streets on our way to the Los Angeles Convention Center.
We either walked or took a Lyft (it actually rained one night while we were there). I debated trying Waymo, but the other two options are familiar and I don’t often choose the additional complications when I’m in a hurry.
With our last full day of covering the show coming up soon, we decided to give the driverless Waymo a try. After all, Waymo vehicles are expected to be traded in Detroit at some point, and I thought I’d report on my experience riding one when I get a chance.
If you’re expecting a story about a tragic accident at the hands of a faceless machine, you’ll be disappointed.
We survived and were able to tell such stories. So this is just an attempt to explain what it means to use Waymo for those who haven’t had a chance to try it. Finally, I would like to express my opinion.
First, there’s the app. These days, there’s always an app.
After downloading the Waymo app on my phone, I was prompted to use my Gmail account, enter basic personal information, and add a credit card.
Next, I had to set my pick up location and destination. This part is not as easy to use as a typical ride-hailing service, and it took longer than expected. My colleague Justin Wang said it might have been easier to take Uber or Lyft. I admit that my inexperience with the process was probably a factor.
After selecting a ride, the car arrival time was adjusted a bit, actually adding a minute or two to the wait time.
It took about 10 minutes for the Waymo Jaguar I-Pace to arrive. Then the car stopped across the street from the hotel. I would have been annoyed if I had a lot of luggage. A cell phone message from Waymo told us that the vehicle would probably wait 5 minutes before leaving if we couldn’t show up, but we were already outside so it didn’t matter.
Since I was focusing on cars, I wasn’t sure at first if I needed to use an app to unlock the car. So we ended up going back and forth trying to guess how to open the door, but the situation was quickly resolved when I decided to look at my phone.
I’m not saying it’s natural to ride in what is essentially the back seat of a taxi with no one at the wheel, but some people still find it too natural to ride in a car with strangers in it. A screen on the dashboard and a screen on the back of the center console greeted me with “Good morning, Eric D.” There was also a blue “button” there to start the ride. There were several charging ports if you wanted to use your cell phone.
The car nagged us to fasten our seatbelts, and a soothing female voice assured us that the car’s microphone would only turn on if the rider was connected to rider support, and that we could sing our hearts out because we “couldn’t hear”.
The mile and a half drive to the convention center went without any noticeable problems. There was no excessive speed, turn signals were used, and there were no unexpected accidents. I was able to control the cabin temperature and fan, and even turn off the calming music that was playing as I boarded the plane.
I was unable to set my destination as close to the convention center entrance as I had hoped. Therefore, I used the “Pass-over” function that is displayed on the vehicle’s screen when passing. And it dropped us off close to where we wanted to escape.
After we got out, a guy from Boston jumped in, but not before answering a few questions. He said he has used Waymo about 15 times and likes it, but he doesn’t want to see Waymo come to Boston. Local traffic conditions are not suitable for this, he pointed out.
Our trip cost $9.80 and took about 8 minutes according to our ride history in the app. A few afternoons ago, I took a Lyft from my hotel to the convention center (drop-off location is slightly different), which took about 7 minutes and cost $18.63 including handling fee and driver tip.
Driverless Waymo doesn’t have a driver, so you don’t have to tip, at least for now.
Is Waymo your next option?
It’s hard to say.
Cleanliness is not a factor I value. This car was clean, but most Lyfts and Ubers I’ve taken have been reasonably clean, if not that clean. Some of these vehicles may be older or likely have more than a few miles on them. However, the other rooms are quite new and spacious.
What Waymo didn’t do was talk to me during the trip. I don’t often need a taxi, but when I’m out and about, I usually ask the driver a few questions. Sometimes we discuss places I’m visiting, why I’m in this city, or other random topics. Sometimes you actually learn a thing or two that you can’t learn on a robotaxi. These interactions were positive for me, even if in some cases the language barrier limited conversation.
Of course, not everyone wants to talk to their driver.
In this case, the cost difference is likely to be in favor of the robot.
Again, I’ve seen reports that show Waymo rides are generally more expensive than Uber or Lyft.
I told some friends that I use Waymo, but some of them said they didn’t feel comfortable using Waymo. That doesn’t surprise me.
Aside from the anxiety of thinking about something unfamiliar, talk about self-driving cars doesn’t necessarily inspire confidence.
Examples of Waymos and other self-driving cars are not hard to find online. Local media in Los Angeles recently reported on a Waymo driving in an active police situation, and a Waymo that appeared to be driving around a stopped school bus in the Atlanta area prompted a review by federal regulators.
Human drivers aren’t perfect either. Sexual assault allegations are unlikely to be an issue for Waymo like, say, Uber.
It may be a little unclear whether robotaxis are viable as a business. Sam Abuelsamid, Telemetry’s vice president of market research, said in a presentation to journalists in September that ride-hailing costs are two to three times more expensive than human-powered rides, and a lack of profitability is why Ford Motor Co. and General Motors Co. have abandoned ride-hailing services.
Concerns about how the addition of Waymo and other robotaxis will affect the employment status of ride-hailing drivers may also be a reason for some potential riders to avoid ride-hailing services.
These broader issues can be good fodder for discussion, but they don’t need to overwhelm our attempts to evaluate simple ride quality.
However, it is difficult to draw final conclusions from limited experience. If future trips turn out disastrously, I might rule out riding Waymo again. Or you can decide that the experience is consistently good and make it your go-to option when it becomes available.
For now, that one ride doesn’t preclude another ride.
Eric D. Lawrence is senior auto culture reporter for the Detroit Free Press. If you have any tips or suggestions, or would like to tell him about your experience with Waymo, please contact him at elawrence@freepress.com. Become a subscriber. Submit a letter to the editor at freep.com/letters.
