Waymo has jumped started a thrilling new phase in its AV operations. They opened a new, highly automated plant in Mesa, Arizona just a few weeks ago. This state-of-the-art facility will be a key part of the company’s plans to rapidly scale its robotaxi services. On Monday, Waymo provided insights into the commercial aspect of its fleet through a detailed blog post, highlighting the ambitious plans for production.
The new factory spans an enormous 239,000 square feet. It’s located strategically in one of Waymo’s most important robotaxi markets. Its proximity to other service areas such as San Francisco, Los Angeles, and Austin positions Waymo to streamline operations and enhance service delivery across these cities.
To facilitate the transition from prototype to production, Waymo has entered into a partnership with Magna to manufacture more than 2,000 self-driving I-Pace vehicles. The partnership represents a multi-million-dollar investment that will more than double the fleet’s capacity to serve rapidly growing demand.
Waymo has plans to launch an automated assembly line at its new facility in the next few months. This improvement would be a tremendous leap in making production more efficient. Once at full capacity, the plant will be able to roll out tens of thousands of autonomous vehicles annually.
In their testimony, Waymo pointed out something pretty amazing. As you approach those local depots, vehicles can be placed into public service just hours after arriving across town, ready to serve cities all over the country.
“In fact, these vehicles can pick up their first public passengers less than 30 minutes after leaving the factory,” – Waymo
This ability to rapidly deploy demonstrates how Waymo is focused on offering safe, impactful autonomous transportation as quickly and efficiently as possible. The move comes as the company continues to innovate and rapidly expand its presence in the autonomous vehicle industry. With the launch of the new manufacturing facility, it puts an important step forward in its mission to revolutionize urban mobility.
