SAN FRANCISCO -- Google’s self-driving car project is now its own company called Waymo, led by CEO John Krafcik.
The company exists under Google parent company Alphabet and will operate like a “venture-backed startup,” Krafcik said at a press event today. Waymo will be based in Mountain View, Calif., and will be responsible for developing self-driving technology and will explore opportunities in trucking, logistics and automaker partnerships.
“We are a self-driving technology company with a mission to make it safe and easy for people to move around,” Krafcik said, emphasizing that Waymo is not a car company.
Until now, the program has been part of secretive research unit Google X. Waymo stands for "A new way forward in mobility," according to Krafcik.
The company’s first driverless ride on public roads -- without a steering wheel or brake pedal -- happened in Austin, Texas, in October 2015, and 10,000 similar tests have since taken place.
"Waymo’s next step will be to let people use our vehicles to do everyday things like run errands, commute to work, or get safely home after a night on the town," the company said in a statement.
Krafcik added that the company is in “build phase” in its partnership with Fiat Chrysler Automobiles to develop 100 self-driving Chrysler Pacifica minivans, outfitting the vehicles with updated sensor systems.
Waymo’s autonomous system uses radar, camera and lidar sensors, and the company is developing primarily Level 4 and Level 5 technology. Nathaniel Fairfield, Waymo’s principal software engineer, said the sensors have been able to handle rough weather conditions.
