Google's Waymo self-driving robotaxis could be put on sale for people looking to own the vehicle

Core Insights - Waymo's self-driving robotaxis may become available for personal ownership in the future, as stated by Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai, although no timeline or pricing details were provided [1][3] - Waymo currently operates a fleet of 700 vehicles, primarily in San Francisco, and completes over 250,000 fully autonomous paid rides each week [3][4] - The robotaxis are expanding their presence in cities like San Francisco, Phoenix, Los Angeles, and Austin, with future plans to enter Atlanta, Miami, and Washington, DC [3][4] Company Operations - Waymo does not manufacture its vehicles but partners with major automakers such as Hyundai, Jaguar, and Zeekr, as well as companies like Uber and Moove for vehicle financing [4][8] - The technology behind Waymo's robotaxis relies on a combination of cameras and LiDAR sensors to create detailed maps of the road [4] Competitive Landscape - Tesla plans to launch a pilot robotaxi program in June, utilizing only cameras and AI, which allows for lower costs compared to Waymo's approach [5][6] - Elon Musk claims that Tesla's costs are significantly lower, estimating that Teslas cost about 20% to 25% of what a Waymo vehicle costs [5][6] - Analysts have expressed skepticism about Tesla's ability to roll out its robotaxi service widely due to challenges with its self-driving technology in complex scenarios [7]