Updates · NC
Waymo Eyes Charlotte and Raleigh: Who Should Own NC's Driverless Taxis?
Waymo plans a Charlotte launch, likely late next year, with Raleigh-Durham next. Idea 11 would keep these fleets open to local owners and fair prices.
Driverless taxis are getting closer to North Carolina. At the state's annual Transportation Summit in Raleigh last week, a Waymo policy adviser said the company expects to launch in Charlotte, likely by late next year, and that the Raleigh-Durham area is next. That raises a simple question for families: who will own these cars, and who will benefit?
What happened
The Raleigh News & Observer reported on October 30 that Waymo has finished mapping the Charlotte streets where it plans to run. It is now testing its cars with people behind the wheel. The company plans to start in and around uptown Charlotte and grow over time. Waymo also said it is in "active conversations" with local governments in the Triangle, and hopes to offer rides in both Raleigh and Durham. It gave no timeline for that.
The paper also noted that a 2017 state law allows fully self-driving cars in North Carolina and stops local governments from setting their own limits. So the big rules for these fleets will be set at the state and federal level, not by city councils in Charlotte or Raleigh.
What it means for family budgets
For most families, getting around costs a lot. AAA estimated in September that owning and running a new car costs about $12,863 a year, counting things like fuel, insurance, upkeep and lost resale value. Your own cost depends on your car and how much you drive.
Self-driving rides could become one more option, especially for a family that would rather not buy a second car, or a worker trying to reach a better job across town. But a new technology does not, by itself, lower costs. If one company ends up owning the cars, the app and the customers, prices and fees could be set by that one company. Today, there is no price yet for a driverless ride in Charlotte, so no one can say what it would save.
How Idea 11 would help
Idea 11, Open Self-Driving Fleets to Independent Owners, is about setting fair rules now, while this industry is still small. It would:
- Limit how much of a local fleet one maker or ride platform can own.
- Let qualified independent owners join large platforms on published, equal terms.
- Require that rides be assigned fairly, no matter who owns the car, with outside checks.
- Require clear fees, and let owners list a car on more than one platform.
- Apply the same safety and service checks to every car, reach neighborhoods beyond downtown, and work alongside buses and trains instead of replacing them.
The goal is more competition, which can help keep prices in check, and a chance for local people, including today's ride-app drivers, to own a car in the fleet. Lower costs and owner income are goals, not guarantees. The plan is honest about the tradeoffs too: caps and access rules could slow how fast companies grow, and some people will say the market should decide.
Have your say
Charlotte may be one of the first places in North Carolina where these rules matter. Read Idea 11 and cast your vote. Do you think fair-ownership rules are worth it, or would you rather let companies compete on their own? Your vote and private comments help shape the plan.
And if you care about questions like this and have thought about serving your community, take a look at our Run for Office page.
Paid for by MakeMeckMakeSense.