By Marlize van Romburgh | Silicon Valley Business Journal
Alphabet’s self-driving car division has received approval from the state of Arizona to operate as a transportation networking company, Quartz reported Friday, putting the Mountain View, California-based company in direct competition with ride-hailing giant Uber Technologies.
Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA) developed 100 Chrysler Pacifica minivans to be fully autonomous with Waymo technology.
Alphabet’s Waymo division already offers complimentary test rides in its self-driving minivans in and around Phoenix, but the TNC approval on Jan. 24 seals its status as a direct competitor to Uber and smaller rival Lyft and allows it to start charging for rides rather than offering them for free.
As Quartz explained:
“The application realizes a long-held fear of Uber’s: that Waymo intends not just to build driverless cars, but to operate its own ride-hailing business.”
