Waymo will even drive for DoorDash in Phoenix

Waymo has announced a brand new partnership with DoorDash that can make the corporate’s self-driving automobiles a supply choice for customers in Phoenix, Arizona. You possibly can already hail a ride in Waymo’s Arizona service space, however this new partnership will give the corporate’s automobiles one thing to do after they’re not transporting human cargo.

To begin, Waymo says that deliveries might be restricted to issues you’ll be able to order by means of DashMart, DoorDash’s storefront for comfort and grocery shops. Ultimately, although, deliveries will “embrace extra native Phoenix retailers and a greater diversity of choices.”

To be able to check out a Waymo supply, you may have to position your order by means of DoorDash and “choose in to autonomous supply” throughout checkout. As soon as Waymo’s automotive arrives, very similar to DoorDash’s Dot robot, you may then need to bodily go away your property and gather your order from the automotive’s trunk to finish the supply. A part of the comfort (and complication) of DoorDash is getting what you ordered dropped at your door. A Waymo supply may flip some individuals off, because it makes that choice unattainable.

In fact, this is not the primary time Waymo has delivered meals in Phoenix. In 2024 the corporate partnered with Uber Eats for the same program, with related limitations round how deliveries had been accomplished and the place meals might be ordered from. Waymo runs its personal robotaxi service in Arizona, Waymo One, however relying on the area, it is also provided rides by means of third-party companions like Uber. Its partnerships with Uber Eats and DoorDash appear to be variations on the identical thought.

In 2020, Waymo was exploring utilizing self-driving long-haul trucks for deliveries. The corporate abandoned those plans in 2023 to prioritize robotaxis and the Waymo Driver software program, however these checks with DoorDash and Uber Eats might be a sign that Waymo is interested by pursuing deliveries on a smaller scale.