Waymo dips its wheels back into delivery, this time with DoorDash

Core Insights - Waymo is expanding its business model beyond robotaxis to include delivery services through a partnership with DoorDash [3][4] - The partnership will initially focus on delivering orders from DashMart within a 315-square-mile area of Phoenix [3][4] - The delivery process will involve customers retrieving their orders from the trunk of a driverless Waymo vehicle [5][6] Company Developments - Waymo has previously tested delivery services with UPS and Uber Eats but has shifted focus to robotaxis after closing its self-driving truck program in 2023 [2] - DoorDash has experience in autonomous vehicle technology, having partnered with Serve Robotics and developed its own delivery bot called Dot [4] Operational Details - The Waymo delivery service will not utilize DoorDash's Dot vehicle; instead, it will employ a driverless Jaguar I-Pace for deliveries [5] - The success of the delivery model will depend on customer acceptance of retrieving items from an autonomous vehicle rather than receiving them directly from a human [6]