Google launches self-driving car company called Waymo

Google has created a new company called Waymo for its development work on self-driving car technology. The new business will be owned by Google’s parent company, Alphabet. 

This is regarded as a sign that Alphabet is planning commercialise the technology that Google has been developing for over a decade. 

John Krafcik, chief executive for Google self-driving cars, will become Waymo’s chief executive. Launching the new business, he said: “We believe that this technology can begin to reshape some of the ten trillion miles that motor vehicles travel around the world every year, with safer, more efficient and more accessible forms of transport.”

The creation of Waymo also suggests that Google will deviate from its original goal of only offering 100% self-driving vehicles. Waymo will try to apply the technology behind self-driving vehicles to other purposes. “We can see our technology being useful in personal vehicles, ride-sharing, logistics, or solving 'last mile' problems for public transport,” said Krafcik.

A film shown at the media launch for Waymo depicted a blind man who was able to make a trip using a prototype self-driving car in 2015, but the company spoke about it for the first time on Tuesday. 

“Steve Mahan rode alone in one of our prototype vehicles, cruising through Austin’s suburbs,” said Krafcik. "Steve is legally blind, so our sensors and software were his chauffeur.”