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Waymo Self-Driving Cars to Shuttle Walmart Customers in Phoenix

Waymo is also teaming with shopping center owner DDR Corp. and Element Hotel and is expanding its existing partnerships with AutoNation and Avis Budget Group to offer early riders more convenience.

Angela Moscaritolo
 & Angela Moscaritolo Managing Editor, Consumer Electronics

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Waymo is bringing more convenience to early riders in Phoenix, Ariz.

As part of a new test pilot launching later this week, Google parent company Alphabet's self-driving car division will begin transporting riders to and from Walmart stores in the Metro Phoenix area to pick up their grocery orders. Riders participating in the pilot can snag savings when ordering groceries via Walmart.com. A driverless Waymo vehicle will then pick up the customer and drive them to the store where they can collect their groceries.

"We know from our early riders that most of their rides are to run errands, shop for groceries, commute to work, head to dinner, or fix their personal vehicles," the Waymo team wrote in a Wednesday blog post.

Waymo is also teaming with shopping center owner DDR Corp. to bring people to and from the Ahwatukee Foothills Towne Center in Chandler, Ariz. so they can "avoid the stress of parking lots," the company wrote. Another new partnership with the Element Hotel in Chandler will give "select guests" access to Waymo vehicles for a "VIP experience." Waymo said this could come in handy for "business travelers who need to commute to and from the office during frequent stays."

The company is also expanding its existing partnerships with AutoNation and Avis Budget Group in Phoenix. AutoNation already services Waymo vehicles and Avis charges, refuels, and cleans them. Both companies will now be making the autonomous vehicles available to their customers.

"While customers are having their personal vehicles serviced, AutoNation will now offer them a Waymo, rather than a loaner car, to get around," Waymo wrote. Meanwhile, Avis "will also soon provide Waymos as a last mile solution for Avis customers in Phoenix to help them pick up or drop off their rental cars."

Waymo launched its early rider program in April 2017, and now transports more than 400 riders around the Phoenix area every day.

"While these are Metro Phoenix-specific partnerships today, these businesses are national and what we learn from these programs will give us a network of partners when we launch in new cities down the road," Waymo wrote.

About Our Expert

Angela Moscaritolo

Angela Moscaritolo

Managing Editor, Consumer Electronics

My Experience

I'm PCMag's managing editor for consumer electronics, overseeing an experienced team of analysts covering smart home, home entertainment, wearables, fitness and health tech, and various other product categories. I have been with PCMag for more than 10 years, and in that time have written more than 6,000 articles and reviews for the site. I previously served as an analyst focused on smart home and wearable devices, and before that I was a reporter covering consumer tech news. I'm also a yoga instructor, and have been actively teaching group and private classes for nearly a decade. 

Prior to joining PCMag, I was a reporter for SC Magazine, focusing on hackers and computer security. I earned a BS in journalism from West Virginia University, and started my career writing for newspapers in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia.

The Technology I Use

My little Florida beach bungalow is brimming with smart home tech. I have a smart speaker or display in every room, allowing me to control other connected devices by voice. The Nest Hub on my bedside table lets me set wake-up alarms, control my smart light bulbs, and set the temperature on my smart thermostat. I use the Amazon Echo Show 8 on my kitchen counter to browse recipes, reorder protein powder, check the weather, and watch the news while I do dishes. 

Because I suffer from allergies, air purifiers are essential. My favorite model is the Dyson Purifier Cool TP07, which doubles as a fan and continuously sends indoor pollution data to its companion mobile app. 

My pitbull Bradley sheds, so a good robot vacuum is a must. I currently use a premium Ecovacs Deebot that can both vacuum and mop, empty its own dustbin, and wash its own mop cloth. 

For fitness, I like to mix up my routine with cycling, indoor rowing, running, and strength training in addition to yoga. I take classes on the Tonal 2 smart strength training machine, I row indoors on an Aviron machine, and track my beach runs with an Apple Watch while listening to music on my Apple AirPods Pro. On the weekends, I love riding e-bikes like the rugged, beach-friendly Aventon Aventure for fun and fitness.

My job involves a lot of virtual meetings, so a quality webcam, microphone, and ring light are important. I use the Jabra PanaCast 20 webcam, the Elgato Wave: 3 microphone, and a Yesker tripod ring light. 

As for my preferred phone platform, I'm an iPhone person, but I've also extensively used Android for product testing.

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