Sept. 6, 2017—Waymo, the autonomous technology company under the Alphabet conglomerate, is at the forefront of developing autonomous driving software for cars, according to a report from Frost & Sullivan.
With over 3 million miles of on-road testing of autonomous cars and an industry-first car without a steering wheel or pedals, Waymo could potentially help commercialize its autonomous technology earlier than its competition, disrupt multiple industries ranging from shared mobility to logistics, as well as hold the key to Alphabet's ecosystem of connected devices, thus enabling the collection of data from vehicles and users to offer customized services.
Frost & Sullivan expects a Waymo-powered, Level 5 autonomous vehicle, featuring complete connectivity, to become available to the public by 2025. It would be based on Fiat Chrysler Automobile's Chrysler Pacifica, which is currently being used as a test mule. The insight discusses the impact of Waymo's innovations on the global automotive ecosystem with specific attention on the various application areas of Waymo's autonomous software, including shared mobility, logistics, and retail.
"Waymo's autonomous technology has vast revenue potential in shared mobility and data-based services, and in various applications such as self-driving trucks, cars, and drones," stated Frost & Sullivan Mobility Research analyst Ajay Natteri Mangadu. "However, with every major automotive original equipment manufacturer (OEM) working on their own in-house autonomous software, finding the right partner to license Waymo's technology will be imperative to its success."
Potential growth opportunities for Waymo include:
- Securing partnerships with third-party developers to build applications for vehicles based on vehicular data;
- Licensing its autonomous software and tailoring it to logistics, thereby saving fuel and driver charge costs;
- Licensing its in-house manufacturing and distribution of light detection and ranging (LIDARs) and sensors for autonomous cars; and
- Extending its software to power autonomous buses for public transport.
"A recent partnership with Lyft is a strong indication of Waymo's interest in entering the shared mobility space," noted Natteri. "Lyft is expected to manage the fleet of Waymo-powered autonomous vehicles for ride-sharing in select cities, extending its early rider program."
Regardless of Waymo's entry, the automotive industry is poised to transform into a highly connected ecosystem. Nevertheless, the entry of Waymo could offer existing ecosystem participants tough competition.
