Riding in a Chinese Robotaxi Is Pretty Smooth—That’s a Problem for Waymo

It is a Chinese robotaxi. One of the two I tried featured executive-style chairs and ample luggage space where the front passenger would usually sit. With no human behind the wheel, it sailed smoothly through the streets of Beijing, dodging the occasional double parker or illegal turner. Soon, I almost forgot a computer program was doing the driving. The technology and rider experience are generally similar to the U.S. driverless taxis operated by Waymo, a subsidiary of Google parent Alphabet. As Waymo and Elon Musk’s Tesla robotaxi dominate Americans’ attention, Chinese companies are building businesses in their home market while also putting stakes down in Europe, the Middle East and Southeast Asia.

https://www.wsj.com/business/autos/china-robotaxi-self-driving-waymo-254ce0a1