Waymo plans to add the first of these self-driving I-PACE SUVs to its ride-sharing fleet later this year, and within the next two years there will be about 20,000 of these vehicles on the road. These SUVs will account for about 1 million driving miles each day, Krafcik said.
Throughout his presentation, Krafcik emphasized safety and Waymo’s rigorous testing of its self-driving and autonomous vehicles, whether it’s on public roads (such as in Arizona), on closed-in testing facilities or within a virtual world the company developed.
Left unsaid is that Krafcik emphasized safety at a time when the entire autonomous vehicle industry faces increased scrutiny following a fatal accident involving a self-driving Uber vehicle and a pedestrian in Tempe, Ariz., earlier this month.
Since that time, Uber has put a hold on all its self-driving tests in North America, although Waymo has continued with its own.
To hammer home the twin points of luxury and safety, Ralf Speth, CEO of Jaguar Land Rover, told the audience Tuesday that self-driving I-PACE is an industry game changer.
“Electrification is the technological prerequisite for autonomous driving in the future,” Speth said. “We are leading and we have a clear vision of smart mobility, new levels of high quality that is safe, entertaining, enjoyable and part of exciting journeys, giving our customer precious, valuable time back.”
— Scott Ferguson is managing editor for the Connected Car, as well as the editor of Security Now. Follow him on Twitter @sferguson_LR.