Waymo Unveils Self-Driving Jaguar I-Pace for Premium Taxi Service
Google’s self-driving car company Waymo has partnered with Jaguar-Land Rover to put 20,000 fully autonomous Jaguar I-Pace EVs on US roads over the next few years.
The self-driving Jaguar I-Pace prototypes will join Waymo’s self-driving Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid minivans in its rapidly expanding fleet of autonomous prototypes. Like the Pacifica Hybrids, the I-Pace vehicles will be used to ferry around customers who use Waymo’s app-based ride-hailing service, but will serve as a high-end premium option over the minivans. Sort of like Uber vs. Uber Black – except the vehicles are fully autonomous.
“While we’ve been focused at Waymo on building the world’s most experienced driver, the team at Jaguar Land Rover has developed an all-new battery-electric platform that looks to set a new standard in safety, design and capability,” said Waymo boss John Krafcik. “We’re sure Waymo riders will enjoy the safe, premium and delightful experience that the self-driving I-PACE will provide.”
SEE ALSO: Jaguar i-Pace First Drive: 5 Things I Learned After 3 Minutes Behind the Wheel
Jaguar CEO Prof. Dr. Ralf Speth expanded on Krafcik’s comments.
“Our passion for further advancing smart mobility needs expert long-term partners,” he said. “In joining forces with Waymo we are pioneering to push the boundaries of technology. Together we will deliver the self-driving Waymo Jaguar I-PACE with the grace, space and eco-pace that customers expect.”
The Waymo-Jaguar partnership will last through to 2026, so we’ll be seeing self-driving I-Pace SUVs on public roads for years to come, as long as all goes to plan. The Jaguar I-Pace will enter production later this year before going on sale in Q3 or Q4. It’s not clear when the first Waymo-operated I-Pace vehicles may come about, but we wouldn’t be shocked to see the company start to take deliveries before the end of the year.
Discuss this story on our Jaguar I-Pace Forum.
Sam McEachern holds a diploma in journalism from St. Clair College in Windsor, Ontario, and has been covering the automotive industry for over 5 years. He conducts reviews and writes AutoGuide's news content. He's a die-hard motorsports fan with a passion for performance cars of all sorts.
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It'll be a cold day in hell before I ride in an autonomous vehicle. No mass of code and ugly 1960's looking cop car sensors are EVER going to outsmart drunk, distracted, grossly careless or even possibly intentionally suicidal human drivers. I want a fighting chance based on my years of developing anticipatory defensive avoidance driving knowledge and skills. That includes 20+ years and over 100,000 miles on three Harleys year round. Riding teaches one a higher level of anticipatory defensive avoidance. 5 million miles (so far by Waymo) of virtuall driving doesn't and won't come close to human gray matter and real world survival experience.