So Long RoboCats?
As Jaguar Exits, Toyota Enters: What’s Next for Waymo’s Robotaxis?
Spotted another Waymo gliding silently down our street this afternoon, and it got me thinking: are we witnessing the slow farewell of the self-driving Jaguar?
If you haven’t heard, Waymo just announced a partnership with Toyota. Yep—the Camry kings. The hybrid overlords. The “you’ll hand it down to your kid after 200k miles” champs. They’re teaming up to build a new platform for autonomous vehicles. Which is a big deal, especially as Jaguar plans to discontinue the I-PACE at the end of this year.
Now, I haven’t actually ridden in a Waymo yet, despite seeing them all over L.A. Usually looking smug and unbothered in a sea of chaos. (Keep calm and carry on—in traffic.) But I’ve always appreciated that they chose the I-PACE: an all-electric Jaguar SUV with a bit of flair. It gave the whole robo-taxi thing a sheen of luxury—sleek lines, suede-y interiors, and that undeniable British charm.
With Toyota in the mix, you gotta wonder—will passengers miss those upscale touches? Probably. Will Jaguar miss the steady income from fleets of its otherwise low-volume EV? Definitely.
But here’s what’s interesting: this Toyota partnership doesn’t just signal a vehicle change—it suggests Waymo might want to expand beyond ride-hailing. Consumer vehicles? (Think Honda + Sony = Afeela.) It’s speculative, but intriguing.
Either way, I’ll be keeping an eye on the roads—and maybe finally downloading their app and booking a ride. Just to say I rode in a leather-trimmed ghost before they all went Camry-core.