Waymo, a subsidiary of Alphabet, is contemplating selling self-driving cars directly to consumers, as suggested by CEO Sundar Pichai during an earnings call. While currently focused on ride-hailing, Waymo's ambitions extend to personal vehicle ownership, delivery services, and trucking. However, the anticipated cost for an individual self-driving vehicle may start at around $250,000, potentially putting it out of reach for average consumers. Despite this, there may be sufficient demand among wealthy buyers, particularly in affluent areas like the Bay Area, to make personal ownership viable.
"There is future optionality around personal ownership." This brief statement from Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai hints at transformative directions for Waymo, considering personal vehicle sales.
"Waymo is developing its generalizable Waymo Driver for multiple applications, focusing on ride-hailing first, with future plans to deploy the technology across delivery, trucking, and personal car ownership." This reveals the broader ambitions of Waymo beyond just ride-hailing toward private vehicle ownership.
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