Waymo expanding Chandler operations ahead of launch of Arizona public ride service

Ryan Randazzo | The Republic | azcentral.com

Show Caption Hide Caption Waymo's fully self-driving cars are here Google's Waymo shows off their self-driving car technology in an advertisement. Video credit: Waymo

Waymo is expanding its self-driving car operations in Chandler in preparation for its first public ride-service, which will launch in Arizona later this year.

The Mountain View, California-based company, formerly known as the Google Self-Driving Car Project, was using about 39,000 square feet of space in a warehouse district near Chandler Boulevard and 56th Street, but is building out an additional 29,000 square feet.

The space services and houses dozens of Chrysler Pacifica minivans that provide rides for more than 400 people in the company’s “Early Rider” program.

“We’re gearing up for growth,” said Ellice Perez, head of operations, during a Monday trip to Arizona.

The new space will house more workers and more vehicles to serve a growing number of people using its ride service. Waymo officials said the company works with local officials and taps into local talent to find workers to fill its ranks.

The company also has begun storing vehicles at off-site locations so it can more quickly pick up riders from a larger territory.

The company eventually plans to offer the service nationwide, and in May announced a deal to buy as many as 60,000 vehicles from Fiat Chrysler. The first test market will be Chandler, where the company has tested self-driving cars since 2016.

The Chandler operations center houses dozens of vehicles and fleet technicians, dispatchers, a passenger support staff and a team of workers that can see real-time road conditions from vehicles in the field and help vehicles navigate problems such as unplanned road closures.

The company won’t disclose how many employees it has in Arizona, but about 20 were in the operations center at lunchtime Monday, with many more presumably in the field operating vehicles.

The company also won’t disclose how many vehicles it has in the state, but about 30 were in the operations center, and the Department of Transportation reported that as of March Waymo had 73 registered in the state, though it may operate some in Arizona that are licensed elsewhere.

The company has more than 600 cars in its fleet nationwide.

Not all rides are free

The Early Rider program launched in April 2017, offering Chandler-area residents free rides within the area where the vehicles operate.

The program continues to accept new applicants, but not all rides are free now, with Waymo testing pricing strategies ahead of the public launch of its ride service,

“That’s how it started but now it’s a combination,” Perez said, adding that the company is testing various promotions and incentives before the public is able to hail a self-driving car from Waymo.

When the public ride service launches, it will be limited to the portions of Chandler, Mesa, Tempe, Gilbert and Ahwatukee that Waymo has mapped and programmed into its cars’ capabilities. But that area is constantly expanding, officials said.

Lilla Gaffney, 29, of Mesa, has used the service for more than a year. Her brother-in-law and husband also are participants.

“It’s made me hopeful for the future of self-driving cars,” she said.

She uses it at least three times a week to go to the gym.

She said she also has begun to share her personal car with friends because she doesn't need it as frequently because of Waymo.

Her husband has taken the Waymo service so much his car battery died from infrequent use, she said.

“I’m looking forward to the part where there are no drivers in the car,” she said.

She is quick to notice when the cars have been upgraded. Since starting the service, she’s noticed the cars become more assertive when merging onto the interstate, more closely mimicking how a human might merge into traffic. And she helped Waymo upgrade its system through rider feedback.

She noticed the cars traveling an annoying 5 miles per hour in the parking lot of a friend’s apartment. She notified Waymo that the posted limit was 10 miles per hour, and the next day noticed the car driving faster in the lot.

“The feedback system is extremely responsive,” she said.

Cars keep getting better

The company also continues to refine the vehicle operations, and demonstrated the capabilities during a short trip around Chandler.

This is the first demonstration given to The Arizona Republic since January 2017, when the company was testing Lexus vehicles in Chandler and before the ride service launched.

Passengers use a smartphone application to hail a ride. When the vehicle arrives, passengers can take the time they need to get seated; the minivan will not begin its journey until a “start” button on the ceiling in the back seat is pressed.

Passengers also are provided small monitors mounted on the backs of seats that depict the vehicle and its surroundings from overhead. It is a much simplified version of what the radar, lidar and cameras on the car detect as they help it navigate city streets.

During a short demonstration drive, the vehicle safely made four left turns on busy streets, two of them ahead of oncoming semi-trucks.

The minivan accelerated without jerkiness or hesitation when there was enough clearance to make the turns safely.

The sensors could detect approaching vehicles well down the road, as evidenced by their appearance on the monitors in the van.

While driving past the Kyrene de la Paloma elementary school, the vehicle traveled the posted 25 miles per hour until it came to the temporary school zone signs designating the area 15 miles per hour, where it slowed to the posted speed.

Waymo operator Vance Jones, sitting in the driver’s seat, did not need to intervene at any point to guide the vehicle.

“After that last storm we had, a lot of trees were down and it was really cool to see the car react to that appropriately,” Jones said.

He showed how the car could get itself out of difficult situations by programming it to drive into a cul-de-sac blocked by five parked cars and two trash dumpsters placed in the street for collection. The minivan quickly completed a three-point turn to negotiate the obstacles.

Most of its vehicles use one if not two operators today, but it is unclear whether operators will be in the cars once the service launches. Some of its trips are done without an operator in the driver seat to take over if needed.

Waymo reports that its vehicles nationwide have driven more than 8 million miles in 25 cities. The company also uses a simulator to test how its vehicles would respond to traffic situations, and has put the programming through more than 5 billion simulated test miles.

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