It was something out of a sci-fi movie: a car without a driver, moving people from one location to another. But building the future doesn’t come without its hiccups. Waymo is now facing one of those odd real-world challenges, and to fix it, it is—hiring DoorDash drivers.
Some drivers for DoorDash, the American online food delivery platform, say that Waymo has been requesting their services.
The story came to light when a DoorDash driver shared a photo on Reddit saying, “Anyone else ever received an offer like this?”
The gig involved driving less than a mile to close a Waymo car door, with a pay of $6.25 and an extra $5 once verified. One commenter even joked about whether riders were charged for leaving the door open. Leaving a Waymo car door open can create safety issues and may prevent the vehicle from moving at all. To tackle this, Waymo said that it would lean on DoorDash drivers.
In a statement to TechCrunch, the company confirmed the story, saying, "Waymo is currently running a pilot program in Atlanta to enhance its AV fleet efficiency. 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 move is part of a partnership between Waymo and DoorDash that started earlier this year. Waymo is in an expansion phase, too. Just weeks ago, the company secured $16 billion and is growing operations across Miami, California, and other U.S. cities.
Ogbonda Chivumnovu
This isn’t the first time Waymo has relied on human helpers. Reports show the company has partnered with Honk, a towing service, offering drivers up to $24 in Los Angeles to assist its fleet.
Eventually, Waymo plans to equip its vehicles with automated doors. For now, though, closing the doors still requires a human touch—sometimes delivered by a DoorDash driver.
