Google’s Waymo is offering DoorDash drivers new ‘robotaxi gig’: Here’s what the companies said

Google’s Waymo is compensating DoorDash delivery drivers to close doors left open by passengers in its self-driving vehicles. DoorDash and the Alphabet-owned company have reportedly confirmed they are running a pilot programme in Atlanta in which DoorDash drivers are notified when a Waymo vehicle nearby has an open door and can receive payment for closing it.
This came after a DoorDash driver from Atlanta shared a Reddit post which showed he was offered $11.25 to close the door of a nearby Waymo vehicle. Waymo's autonomous cars cannot move until all doors are closed. The company is using gig workers from delivery platforms to handle this task, enabling vehicles to return to service quickly. DoorDash drivers receive notifications when a Waymo nearby needs a door closed, allowing them to earn additional income between delivery orders.

What Waymo and DoorDash said about the new gig

In a joint statement to CNBC, Waymo and DoorDash said that they are exploring new, flexible ways for DoorDash deliverers to earn money, adding that future Waymo vehicles will feature automated door closures. However, Waymo didn't say when that capability will arrive.

Waymo's reliance on people for simple tasks shows how autonomous technologies still require human intervention for some basic operations. Valued at $126 billion in a recent financing round, Waymo is central to Alphabet's Other Bets, which are targeted at "using technology to try to solve big problems that affect a wide variety of industries, including transportation and health technology," according to the company's financial filings.

In Alphabet's annual filing last week, the company reported that the Other Bets segment recorded an operating loss of $7.5 billion last year, including a $2.1 billion stock-based compensation charge at Waymo.

In addition to DoorDash, Waymo is paying users of Honk, an independent roadside assistance company, to close robotaxi doors. A recent Washington Post report said Honk users, who get paid to provide maintenance on Waymo vehicles, were offered up to $24 in Los Angeles for closing a door.

Recently, Waymo began deploying its next-generation robotaxi as it works to strengthen its position in the US. Waymo currently offers its autonomous robotaxi service in six US markets, with plans to expand to several more this year.

Currently, Waymo is operating commercially in six cities across the U.S., with plans to expand to a dozen more cities plus London. Waymo vehicles can drop off and pick up passengers at airports in Phoenix and San Francisco.

Waymo is expected to begin deploying its sixth-generation Waymo Driver using Zeekr Ojai minivans, adding to its fleet of Jaguar I-Paces and Hyundai Ioniq 5 electric vehicles. The system has upgraded cameras, lidar, and radar for improved sensing at night and in inclement weather. The vehicles include microphones that capture sounds such as sirens to determine the direction of emergency vehicles.

Waymo and DoorDash told Bloomberg they have been working on a pilot program for a few weeks. "In the rare event a vehicle door is left ajar, preventing the car from departing, nearby Dashers are notified, allowing Waymo to get its vehicles back on the road quickly," the two companies told the publication.




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