Google's Waymo Facing Stiff Competition GM’s Driverless Unit

The big race is on and it seems very unlikely for Waymo LLC, to hold onto that numero uno spot when it comes to the autonomous miles driven in California. GM’s Cruise, has been showing significant progress over the years and it wouldn’t be a surprise if it toppled the giant out of its comfort zone.
Waymo remains the leader in total autonomous-driven miles in California, even as the company expanded its testing grounds to Phoenix, Ariz. Waymo’s robocars drove 353,000 autonomous miles in 2017, down from 635,000 miles in 2016. Cruise’s cars drove 132,000 driverless miles, up from a mere 9,700 miles in the prior year.
Based on a recent California DMV report, “Waymo showed less statistical progress than some autonomous bulls would hope.” GM is set to report fourth-quarter earnings on Tuesday, and its efforts around autonomous cars and electric vehicles, two of the most-watched developments in the auto industry, are part of the company’s highlights. The company has promised to launch an autonomous vehicle by 2019.