Waymo wants to chauffeur your kids

Soon, parents in range of Waymo robotaxis might not have to worry about picking up their kids from after-school activities -- or any time, really. The San Francisco Standard reports that Waymo, the Alphabet subsidiary, is considering a subscription program that would let teens hail one of its cars solo and send pickup and drop-off alerts to their parents. In a survey, Waymo referred to the program as "Waymo Teen," and floated prices ranging from $150 to $250 per month for up to 16 rides. "We hav Read More...

Soon, parents in range of Waymo robotaxis might not have to worry about picking up their kids from after-school activities — or any time, really.

The San Francisco Standard reports that Waymo, the Alphabet subsidiary, is considering a subscription program that would let teens hail one of its cars solo and send pickup and drop-off alerts to their parents. In a survey, Waymo referred to the program as “Waymo Teen,” and floated prices ranging from $150 to $250 per month for up to 16 rides.

“We have been exploring the potential for authorized teenagers to access [Waymo] under their guardians’ supervision and have received promising feedback from our research in this area,” a Waymo spokesperson told TechCrunch.

Waymo isn’t the only ride-hailing company looking to teens to boost profits. Last year, Uber began matching teens ages 13 through 17 with highly rated drivers in its network. Consent is required from a child’s legal guardians, who then receive notifications about their child’s whereabouts during rides.