It's early December at this point. So the timeframe for releasing something in 2018 is getting pretty small. It's not surprising to hear that Waymo announced on Wednesday that their public self-driving car service will not launch before 2019.



While the company wasn't ready for a full launch, they will be offering a small-scale service in Phoenix, Arizona to existing volunteers. The service, dubbed Waymo One, will act as a test run before a full launch. It'll only be available to those that Waymo screens and invites. Users will have to use their app and credit card to use the service. Reuters reports an estimated price of a 15-minute, three-mile ride at $7.59, comparable to a $7.22 ride from Lyft. Autonomy costs about 37 cents, it seems.

Reuters also had the opportunity to test out the self-driving service. They report it as "slow and jerky at times," making them question whether or not the service will still be frequented after the novelty of a driverless car wears off. Passengers will not be alone, still. The autonomous cars will still have a human driver onboard in case of emergency. The Waymo One service will be limited to a 100 square mile area in Phoenix, covering the Chandler, Tempe, Mesa, and Gilbert areas.

Should things go smoothly, the service will extend worldwide. Time will tell.