Can You Own a Waymo Car? Your Burning Questions Answered

Waymo, the self-driving technology division of Alphabet Inc., has been making headlines with its autonomous vehicles. The company's goal is to make transportation safer, more efficient, and more enjoyable for everyone. But can you, as a consumer, own a Waymo car?

Waymo's mission is ambitious: to make driverless cars a reality, not just for ride-hailing services like Waymo One, but for personal car ownership as well. The company has been testing and refining its technology for years, with tens of thousands of miles driven on public roads. While it's still in the testing phase, Waymo has expanded its partnership with various automakers, accelerating its progress toward commercialization.

If you're one of the many curious consumers wondering if you can buy a Waymo car, this article has the answers to your burning questions.

Why Can't I Buy a Waymo Car Yet?

WAYMO HAS BEEN GRADUALLY ROLLING OUT ITS SELF-DRIVING SERVICE, Waymo One, to the public in cities like Phoenix and San Francisco. But it's not available for private purchase. The reason behind this is multifaceted: safety, manufacturing, quality control, technology infrastructure, and economics.

Waymo, unlike traditional car manufacturers, does not currently produce, manufacture, or assemble its vehicles. All Waymo's testing vehicles, including those for its ride-hailing service, are essentially modified Chrysler Pacifica minivans. Chrysler, therefore, is the one responsible for manufacturing, quality control, and logistics of regular production, while Chrysler engineers and tune up the modified minivans to meet the needs of Waymo.

Another technology reason is that owning a Waymo car today would still be expensive for the average consumer largely due to all the high tech used inside that single device yet the technology in is at a normal car costs.