March 28, 2018—Google’s self-driving car arm, Waymo, has announced a deal to buy up to 20,000 electric vehicles over the next two years, a move that illustrates the company’s ambition when it comes to driverless ride-hailing services.
According to a USA Today report, the company has expressed plans to buy the electric version of a Jaguar SUV, the I-Pace, to create its fleet of vehicles. The vehicles would then be fitted with components to make them capable of piloting themselves without a driver. The company claims the fleet would be capable of handling 1 million rides per day.
Waymo CEO John Krafcik said at a preview of this week’s New York International Auto Show that his driverless vehicle service will start using the existing fleet in a 100-square mile section of the Phoenix area. He wouldn’t comment on what other cities may be next for Waymo.
Jaguar Land Rover plans to begsumer in delivering the aforementioned vehicles in 2020. The conversion of the I-Pace will hit showrooms later this year without self-driving equipment.
The I-Pace has “an all-new battery-electric platform that looks to set a new standard in safety, design, and capability,” Krafcik said in a statement.
