Alphabet’s self-driving car division, Waymo, has unveiled its latest generation of autonomous vehicle technology, marking a significant advancement in the company’s robotaxi fleet. The newly revealed sixth-generation hardware and sensor suite is a major step forward in the evolution of Waymo’s autonomous driving systems, which will now be integrated into Geely Zeekr electric vehicles. This development promises enhanced performance in a wider range of weather conditions while reducing the number of costly sensors and cameras.
Waymo’s sixth-generation platform includes 13 cameras, four lidar sensors, and six radar sensors, a streamlined setup compared to the previous generation, which featured 29 cameras and five lidar sensors. The company attributes this reduction to advancements in sensor technology and strategic placement, which not only improve the vehicle’s capability but also significantly reduce costs without compromising safety. The new sensor suite allows the vehicle to detect objects up to 500 meters away, offering overlapping fields of view from multiple sensing modalities. The system is designed to operate effectively both day and night and in harsher weather conditions.
This new generation of Waymo’s self-driving technology has already logged thousands of miles in real-world driving and millions more in simulation. The company expects this shared knowledge base to accelerate the deployment of fully autonomous vehicles, aiming to operate without a human safety driver behind the wheel in a much shorter timeframe than previous generations.
The new hardware is integrated into the Geely Zeekr, a boxier vehicle compared to Waymo’s existing Jaguar I-Pace SUVs. The Zeekr’s design features a more accessible interior, with a lower step, higher ceiling, and increased legroom, catering to a broader range of passengers. The vehicle’s sensors are strategically placed to provide a 360-degree view, further enhanced by built-in wipers that keep the sensors clear of dirt and precipitation.
As Waymo scales its operations, it continues to expand its commercial robotaxi service, Waymo One, which currently operates in cities such as San Francisco, Phoenix, Austin, and Los Angeles. The company provides around 50,000 paid driverless trips each week, with a significant portion of these occurring in San Francisco and Phoenix. The fleet has completed over 2 million trips to date, with Waymo recently opening its service in San Francisco to all users.
With Alphabet’s recent $5 billion investment in its autonomous vehicle unit, Waymo is well-positioned to scale its operations and integrate the new sixth-generation robotaxis into its fleet. Testing and validation of these vehicles are currently underway on public roads, with additional assessments being conducted in various locations across the United States to gauge performance under different traffic and weather conditions.
Waymo’s advancements come as the autonomous vehicle industry faces fluctuating competition in the U.S. While companies like Didi and Pony.ai are active in China, Waymo encounters limited competition domestically. Rivals such as GM-owned Cruise have faced setbacks, and other companies like Uber and Ford have paused their driverless efforts. Tesla, meanwhile, has yet to deliver on its promise of a fully autonomous vehicle but plans to unveil its dedicated robotaxi later this year.
