Latest news with #NicoleGavel
Asahi Shimbun
05-05-2025
- Automotive
- Asahi Shimbun
U.S. driverless taxi operator begins collecting data in Tokyo
A vehicle of Waymo LLC is operated by a Nihon Kotsu Co. taxi driver, who is aboard it, in Tokyo's Minato Ward on April 10. (Kenta Nakamura) Waymo LLC, which operates fully autonomous, driverless taxis in the United States, has announced that it would start collecting road data in Tokyo to explore the possibilities of offering commercial services in Japan. Human drivers were to operate a fleet of Waymo's test vehicles manually for collecting the driving data. Cameras and sensors aboard the vehicles were to be used to collect 360-degree imagery of the surroundings and other data in the form of 3-D information. Jaguar SUVs of Britain's Jaguar Land Rover Ltd. were to be used in the task. Each Jaguar was to be fitted, among other things, with 29 cameras, five radar devices, and light detection and ranging (LiDAR) units, which use laser light to detect obstacles. An artificial intelligence system will learn about Japan's traffic signs and traffic rules and design a self-driving system that will be optimized for use in the country. Media representatives were given a sneak peek of a test vehicle on April 10. Waymo's vehicles were to start running along streets in seven wards of Tokyo, including Shinjuku and Shinagawa, successively as early as the middle of April to accumulate data. The fleet will eventually grow to comprise 25 vehicles. They were to be operated by drivers working for Nihon Kotsu Co., a major Japanese taxi firm. Waymo is offering more than 200,000 taxi rides per week in California and elsewhere in the United States. The company, at the moment, has no prospect of providing commercial services in Japan, but Nicole Gavel, head of business development with Waymo, said that she believes the next step would start with a driver behind the wheel. There are concerns that a spread of driverless taxis could affect the employment of taxi drivers. 'It could indeed take jobs of the future,' said Ichiro Kawanabe, a Nihon Kotsu director who is also head of the Japan Federation of Hire-Taxi Associations. 'But I don't believe the spread will be fast enough to threaten the jobs of existing drivers.'
Forbes
10-04-2025
- Automotive
- Forbes
Waymo Driverless Cars Head To Tokyo — With Drivers
A Waymo car drives along a street on March 01, 2023 in San Francisco, California. (Photo by Justin ...) Waymo's driverless cars are headed to Tokyo to chalk up their first kilometers on international roads — but it's all about data collection, rather than driverless trips. The 25 Jaguar I-PACE electric cars will feature Waymo One technology, but will be driver operated in order to let the Alphabet-owned company map Tokyo and better understand local roads, infrastructure, and driving habits. "It's important for us to understand the difference in driving environment, what makes the driving here unique," said Nicole Gavel, Waymo's head of business development and strategic partnerships, at an event in Tokyo, according to Reuters. In a post on Waymo said the Tokyo trips across seven wards of the city would mark the system's first kilometers on international roads, though the cars will be manually driven with Waymo technology on board — sort of like how the project first started in San Francisco back in 2009. The international road trip highlights how much work is still needed to make a driverless car trained in one city work in another, a "generalizability" challenge that Waymo is trying to understand by sending vehicles across different US cities this year. Tokyo, Japan will naturally be a bigger leap from San Francisco than closer-to-home expansions to LA or Austin; Waymo said recently that it was now providing 200,000 autonomous taxi rides each week, without a safety driver present at the wheel. That said, Waymo hopes that once the mapping phase is complete, the autonomous driving system can take over, though still with a test driver at the wheel. Gavel couldn't say how long the initial phase would last. "We're just starting with the testing so that's where we're focused," she said. 'Longer term, obviously, we would love to have a business here in Tokyo.' A Waymo autonomous self-driving Jaguar taxi is stopped at a light while driving along a street on ... More March 14, 2024 in Los Angeles, California. Beginning today, Waymo One is offering robotaxi services in a 63-square mile area of greater Los Angeles including Santa Monica, Venice and downtown with over 50,000 people on the wait list. Waymo is owned by Alphabet, Google's parent company. (Photo by) She added in a statement that the project would be following the same pattern as American tests, with a "commitment to safety, dedication to earning trust in communities where we operate, and collaboration with local officials and community groups here in Tokyo." Waymo first announced the Japanese trips late last year, and has been working for months with local taxi firm Nihon Kotsu and mobility app maker Go. "Our partner, Nihon Kotsu, Tokyo's largest taxi company, will oversee the management and servicing of the Waymo vehicles," Waymo said in a blog post last year. 'The companies are working closely together to train Nihon Kotsu's team on operating vehicles equipped with Waymo's autonomous driving system. Initially, Nihon Kotsu drivers will operate the vehicles manually to map key areas of the Japanese capital, including Minato, Shinjuku, Shibuya, Chiyoda, Chūō, Shinagawa, and Kōtō.' Beyond private partners, the project has also required working with government and first responders, too. "We are engaging with Japanese policymakers, regulators, and local safety officials to ensure a responsible and seamless implementation of Waymo's technology to Tokyo's streets," the blog post added. Earlier this year, Waymo added 10 new cities including San Diego, Las Vegas and Washington DC, to its lineup of locations for driverless car testing, though as with Tokyo they won't be offering commercial services but will be test rides with drivers behind the wheel.
Yahoo
10-04-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Waymo to begin data collection in Tokyo with driver-operated test rides
TOKYO (Reuters) - Alphabet's self-driving unit Waymo said on Thursday it will start collecting data in Tokyo with test rides operated by human drivers next week, marking the first time the company will be using its cars on public roads outside the United States. The California-based autonomous driving company will deploy 25 driver-operated electric Jaguar I-PACE to map key areas of the Japanese capital and gain insights into local infrastructure and driving patterns. "It's important for us to understand the difference in driving environment, what makes the driving here unique," Nicole Gavel, Waymo's head of business development and strategic partnerships, told reporters at an event in Tokyo. The company is conducting the testing and servicing of the vehicles in cooperation with Japanese taxi firm Nihon Kotsu and Go, which operates a mobile app for hailing taxi rides and is partly owned by Nihon Kotsu. After completing the initial mapping phase, Waymo aims to advance to autonomous driving tests with a driver behind the wheel as a next step, Gavel said, declining to say by when the company hopes to complete the initial phase. "We're just starting with the testing so that's where we're focused," she said. "Longer term, obviously, we would love to have a business here in Tokyo." Waymo said its initial testing will be conducted in seven Tokyo wards, including Minato and Shibuya. Sign in to access your portfolio
Reuters
10-04-2025
- Automotive
- Reuters
Waymo to begin data collection in Tokyo with driver-operated test rides
TOKYO, April 10 (Reuters) - Alphabet's (GOOGL.O), opens new tab self-driving unit Waymo said on Thursday it will start collecting data in Tokyo with test rides operated by human drivers next week, marking the first time the company will be using its cars on public roads outside the United States. The California-based autonomous driving company will deploy 25 driver-operated electric Jaguar I-PACE to map key areas of the Japanese capital and gain insights into local infrastructure and driving patterns. here. "It's important for us to understand the difference in driving environment, what makes the driving here unique," Nicole Gavel, Waymo's head of business development and strategic partnerships, told reporters at an event in Tokyo. The company is conducting the testing and servicing of the vehicles in cooperation with Japanese taxi firm Nihon Kotsu and Go, which operates a mobile app for hailing taxi rides and is partly owned by Nihon Kotsu. After completing the initial mapping phase, Waymo aims to advance to autonomous driving tests with a driver behind the wheel as a next step, Gavel said, declining to say by when the company hopes to complete the initial phase. "We're just starting with the testing so that's where we're focused," she said. "Longer term, obviously, we would love to have a business here in Tokyo." Waymo said its initial testing will be conducted in seven Tokyo wards, including Minato and Shibuya.
Yahoo
04-03-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Uber and Waymo officially launch autonomous vehicle service in Austin; what to know
Waymo's autonomous vehicles have been something of an Austin Easter egg for years, with locals often encountering them at stoplights or road crossings. However, they will now be less of a tech-themed beautification project and more of a realistic option for getting around the city. Starting today, riders can be matched with a Waymo autonomous vehicle on the Uber app and travel across 37 square miles of Austin. 'Starting today, Austin riders can be matched with a Waymo autonomous vehicle on the Uber app, making their next trip even more special,' said Dara Khosrowshahi, CEO at Uber. 'With Waymo's technology and Uber's proven platform, we're excited to introduce our customers to a future of transportation that is increasingly electric and autonomous.' Nicole Gavel, Waymo's head of business development and strategic partnerships, emphasized the importance of the company's longstanding relationship with Austin. "When we think about cities, especially the early cities that that we think about bringing Waymo One to, part of it is folks who are maybe early adopters to technology, or enthusiasts of technology and from a city government perspective, that are supporters of new innovations," Gavel said. Eager Austinites can get into a Waymo-powered Uber by opting in via the Ride Preferences" section of the Uber app, found under Settings. This will give riders the best chance of being matched with a self-driving Waymo vehicle. Uber riders in Austin who request an UberX, Uber Green, Uber Comfort, or Uber Comfort Electric will be eligible to be matched with a Waymo fully autonomous all-electric Jaguar I-PACE vehicle. Once the Waymo arrives, riders will be able to unlock the vehicle, open the trunk, and start the trip, all from their familiar Uber app. According to Uber, riders matched with a Waymo vehicle will pay the same rates as UberX, Uber Green, Uber Comfort, or Uber Comfort Electric, and will receive upfront pricing in the Uber app. Customers can rate their experience in-app, just like any typical Uber ride. However, riders will not be prompted to tip if matched with a Waymo autonomous vehicle. Along with Uber's Waymo option officially launching Tuesday, the company will manage fleet services in partnership with Avomo for the first time. This will include vehicle cleaning, maintenance, inspections, charging, and depot operations. Waymo remains responsible for vehicle testing, roadside assistance, and certain aspects of rider support. Andrew Macdonald, Uber's senior vice president of mobility and business operations, said this launch is a continuation of the company's strategy to leverage social use cases to introduce new technology — similar to what it did during its early adoption in nightlife and events. "You know, we're a technology company, but we operate in the real world, and that means you deal with the complexity and messiness of the real world," Macdonald said, "It's something we've solved in our core ride share business, and it's something autonomous vehicles are gonna' have to develop and get used to as well." Beck Andrew Salgado covers trending topics in the Austin business ecosystem for the American-Statesman. To share additional tips or insights with Salgado, email Bsalgado@ This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Uber and Waymo officially launch autonomous ride service across Austin
