Waymo reports 250,000 paid robotaxi rides per week in U.S.

Core Insights - Waymo, Alphabet's autonomous vehicle unit, is currently delivering over 250,000 paid robotaxi rides per week in the U.S., an increase from 200,000 rides in February [1][3] - CEO Sundar Pichai mentioned that Waymo is exploring various business models and partnerships, including collaborations with Uber and automakers, while still defining its long-term business strategy [1][2] - Waymo operates commercial driverless ride-hailing services in major U.S. cities such as San Francisco, Los Angeles, Phoenix, and Austin, with plans to expand to Atlanta this summer [3] Business Model and Strategy - Waymo has not fully defined its long-term business model, indicating potential future options for personal vehicle ownership equipped with its self-driving technology [2] - The company is focused on scaling its operations and building partnerships to enhance its service offerings [2][3] Competitive Landscape - Waymo has established itself as a leader in the self-driving technology market, surpassing competitors like Tesla, which has faced delays in delivering fully autonomous vehicles [4] - Elon Musk criticized Waymo's approach, labeling its autonomous vehicles as "very expensive" and produced in "low volume," contrasting with Tesla's reliance on camera-based systems [5] - Other competitors in the autonomous vehicle space include Amazon-owned Zoox, Mobileye, May Mobility, and international firms like WeRide and Baidu's Apollo Go [6]