Self Driving Car Review (1 Viewer)

[brothern]

I had the pleasure of hailing a self-driving car in Phoenix last week a couple times. For the first trip, we took an all-electric Jaguar I-Pace car to a restaurant across town. The total ride was about 20 minutes and 10 miles to the restaurant from our hotel. I think I paid $20 bucks, but my memory is already fuzzy now.

The ride was easy. I hailed the cab through the Waymo app. It pulled up for pickup after about a 5 minute wait. I had to unlock the car doors through the app. The friendly voice told me not to touch anything in the car multiple times.

The ride was rather pleasant. It navigated the Phoenix traffic easily. We went through a traffic circle no problem. The only bit of excitement I had was when it took a right hand turn at a red stop light. It was a safe and legal turn, but I was not expecting that it would actually do that.

At drop off, we got out and watched it sit for a couple seconds. It then pulled into traffic and off onto what I assume was the next rider.

Here's a short video of one of the later trips:

 

[Mr Person]

I had the pleasure of hailing a self-driving car in Phoenix last week a couple times. For the first trip, we took an all-electric Jaguar I-Pace car to a restaurant across town. The total ride was about 20 minutes and 10 miles to the restaurant from our hotel. I think I paid $20 bucks, but my memory is already fuzzy now.

The ride was easy. I hailed the cab through the Waymo app. It pulled up for pickup after about a 5 minute wait. I had to unlock the car doors through the app. The friendly voice told me not to touch anything in the car multiple times.

The ride was rather pleasant. It navigated the Phoenix traffic easily. We went through a traffic circle no problem. The only bit of excitement I had was when it took a right hand turn at a red stop light. It was a safe and legal turn, but I was not expecting that it would actually do that.

At drop off, we got out and watched it sit for a couple seconds. It then pulled into traffic and off onto what I assume was the next rider.

Here's a short video of one of the trips:

Wait...

Wait...

Wait... fully self-driving are already approved there? You took a self-driving cab to a restaurant?

 

[Chock Full o Nuts]

Glad you enjoyed it, but I'm good on that. No thanks..
I'm surprised as well they allow it to turn right on red.
Some places I believe have a policy against drivers doing it, but I guess if there's no driver, then..

 

[Slavister]

Can't wait for self-driving cars!!! Though I always thought I'd get one at least after 10 years that they've been around to work out all the kinks! I think I am going to start the 10-year clock now!

 

[brothern]

Wait...

Wait...

Wait... fully self-driving are already approved there? You took a self-driving cab to a restaurant?

Yes? We had a 7:15 reservation and got there in time.

I believe both Cruise and Waymo are launched in Phoenix. I think they're rolling out SF right now. And I think Waymo should be deploying in Los Angeles and Austin if all goes well with the approvals. I'm not sure which cities Cruise is going to be deploying in.

 

[Mr Person]

Yes? We had a 7:15 reservation and got there in time.

I believe both Cruise and Waymo are launched in Phoenix. I think they're rolling out SF right now. And I think Waymo should be deploying in Los Angeles and Austin if all goes well with the approvals. I'm not sure which cities Cruise is going to be deploying in.

I must have missed the boat. I thought approval for full self-driving was a ways off still.

 

[brothern]

Can't wait for self-driving cars!!! Though I always thought I'd get one at least after 10 years that they've been around to work out all the kinks! I think I am going to start the 10-year clock now!

I'm not entirely sure that you are going to want to buy a self-driving car, though? What's the point of buying your own car if the self-driving ones can pick you up at any time of night or day, and as well can service themselves (recharge) if they are low battery?

I mean we don't do that today with the likes of Uber or taxis. Because, fares are still expensive. The driver has to make a salary and the taxi company has to take a cut to stay profitable. There's gasoline to pay for too. You're spending a lot of money to get from point A to point B. However with the self-driving cars, there will be no person who needs to make a salary. And if cities and municipalities start having their own fleets, there will be neither a person nor a private company needing to make revenue.

At what point do fares become so cheap that spending tens of thousands of dollars on your car because unjustifiable?

 

[Slavister]

I'm not entirely sure that you are going to want to buy a self-driving car, though? What's the point of buying your own car if the self-driving ones can pick you up at any time of night or day, and as well can service themselves (recharge) if they are low battery?

I mean we don't do that today with the likes of Uber or taxis. Because, fares are still expensive. The driver has to make a salary and the taxi company has to take a cut to stay profitable. There's gasoline to pay for too. You're spending a lot of money to get from point A to point B. However with the self-driving cars, there will be no person who needs to make a salary. And if cities and municipalities start having their own fleets, there will be neither a person nor a private company needing to make revenue.

At what point do fares become so cheap that spending tens of thousands of dollars on your car because unjustifiable?

Good point! I live in an area where it would probably be one of the last ones to get those as self-driving taxis. So buying one might be the only option.

 

[mike2810]

Wait...

Wait...

Wait... fully self-driving are already approved there? You took a self-driving cab to a restaurant?

Yep. They be here in limited areas.

Self-Driving Car Service - Ride-Hailing in Phoenix, AZ - Waymo

Waymo One, our autonomous ride-hailing service, provides safe rides in an all-electric fleet. Ride with our self-driving car service in Phoenix, AZ

waymo.com

 

[brothern]

Glad you enjoyed it, but I'm good on that. No thanks..
I'm surprised as well they allow it to turn right on red.
Some places I believe have a policy against drivers doing it, but I guess if there's no driver, then..

What I'm thinking about is that the rules of the road and its design is done to accommodate the poorest skilled drivers. A lot of us could drive really fast and have no issue with various maneuvers, but not everyone can drive that way. So, to accommodate the range of driving skillsets we are all asked to drive within the exact same speed limit.

But the worst of these automated cars will likely start to outperform the worst driver in all cases. I wonder if there will start to be separate road rules for humans and automated cars. Where automated cars will end up being trusted to move in ways and at speeds that humans will never be trusted to do.