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Next stop: Miami

waymo.com

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Re: Next stop: Miami

#11

Post by dangus »

itchyouch wrote: post #9
seeingfurther wrote: post #5

Miami probably has some of the worst, most lawless drivers in the country — it's like a free-for-all out there. Makes me wonder if Waymo picked Miami as a kind of stress test for their self-driving tech. If they can handle the chaos there, they can probably handle just about anything.

I'd imagine NYC to be worse than Miami. Miami seems to share enough similarity in warm weather to SF to be a similar enough use case to expand while providing slightly different driving conditions to be able to dip ones toes in to the driving habits of a different city.

Yeah, bad drivers are easy for self-driving to deal with. You just drive defensively and avoid the objects. It’s the snow and other sensor obstructions that make things difficult.

Re: Next stop: Miami

#12

Post by mavhc »

timmg wrote: post #3

I wonder when they will be able to provide service in northern cities (that get snow). Once they can do that -- and (I guess) can prove profitable -- they could expand non-stop across the country.

Assuming they stop relying on hd maps, or map everywhere

Re: Next stop: Miami

#13

Post by jitl »

seeingfurther wrote: post #5

Miami probably has some of the worst, most lawless drivers in the country — it's like a free-for-all out there. Makes me wonder if Waymo picked Miami as a kind of stress test for their self-driving tech. If they can handle the chaos there, they can probably handle just about anything.

Big +1. Here using the turn signal is iffy because some drivers see that as a sign to speed up to try to overtake. I’ve had a few close calls where I check my mirrors, everything is safe for a lane change, turn on the blinker, and the guy in the left lane floors it from 5 car lengths back to cut me off. Sigh.

The Waymo driver is very passive and defensive so I imagine it will be quite slow compared to an Uber who is willing to fight to make turns etc.

Re: Next stop: Miami

#14

Post by wil421 »

itchyouch wrote: post #9
seeingfurther wrote: post #5

Miami probably has some of the worst, most lawless drivers in the country — it's like a free-for-all out there. Makes me wonder if Waymo picked Miami as a kind of stress test for their self-driving tech. If they can handle the chaos there, they can probably handle just about anything.

I'd imagine NYC to be worse than Miami. Miami seems to share enough similarity in warm weather to SF to be a similar enough use case to expand while providing slightly different driving conditions to be able to dip ones toes in to the driving habits of a different city.

Warm yes but SF doesn’t have many thunderstorms and afternoon downpours.

Re: Next stop: Miami

#15

Post by 15155 »

itchyouch wrote: post #9
seeingfurther wrote: post #5

Miami probably has some of the worst, most lawless drivers in the country — it's like a free-for-all out there. Makes me wonder if Waymo picked Miami as a kind of stress test for their self-driving tech. If they can handle the chaos there, they can probably handle just about anything.

I'd imagine NYC to be worse than Miami. Miami seems to share enough similarity in warm weather to SF to be a similar enough use case to expand while providing slightly different driving conditions to be able to dip ones toes in to the driving habits of a different city.

NYC is unique in that you have no choice but to do extremely dangerous things to actually operate in traffic at all in most scenarios.

Streets, alleys, etc. are blocked or are narrowed by vehicles and a myriad of other possible obstructions, all of which could be concealing pedestrians.

Re: Next stop: Miami

#16

Post by [deleted] »

seeingfurther wrote: post #5

Miami probably has some of the worst, most lawless drivers in the country — it's like a free-for-all out there. Makes me wonder if Waymo picked Miami as a kind of stress test for their self-driving tech. If they can handle the chaos there, they can probably handle just about anything.

[deleted]

Re: Next stop: Miami

#17

Post by fngjdflmdflg »

This is important if nothing else because Miami sees much more rain than SF and Phoenix:

Miami: 57 in. (https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/access/us-climate-normals/#dataset...

SF: 25 in. (https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/access/us-climate-normals/#dataset...)

Phoenix: 7 in. (https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/access/us-climate-normals/#dataset...)

Re: Next stop: Miami

#18

Post by schiffern »

timmg wrote: post #3

I wonder when they will be able to provide service in northern cities (that get snow). Once they can do that -- and (I guess) can prove profitable -- they could expand non-stop across the country.

Anyone know the timeline for Waymo expanding to northern areas outside urban centers? Or are these underserved populations forever stuck waiting hours for an Uber that still cancels half the time?

Re: Next stop: Miami

#19

Post by jitl »

lopkeny12ko wrote: post #10

Jaguar discontinued the I-PACE and presumably does not manufacture them anymore. It must be the case that Waymo is cannibalizing their fleet capacity from other markets for every new city launch.

Waymo has a zillion I-PACE vehicles in storage/prep and 2 new models in the pipeline.

Re: Next stop: Miami

#20

Post by dangus »

lopkeny12ko wrote: post #10

Jaguar discontinued the I-PACE and presumably does not manufacture them anymore. It must be the case that Waymo is cannibalizing their fleet capacity from other markets for every new city launch.

I can’t imagine that they would have any major difficulties installing their equipment on any other vehicle.

And they also probably have every little default finding I-PACE vehicles that have gone unsold or are unwanted.

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