Review

Look Out, Uber. The Future Looks a Lot More Like Waymo

If hell is other people, heaven is a self-driving car—especially one bound to replace ride-sharing services.

The autonomous ride-sharing company Waymo has more than 2,000 electric vehicles operating nationwide. 

Photographer: David Paul Morris/Bloomberg

There’s something fundamentally American about the freedom to get in your car and drive.

Driving is self-determination. The liberty to set your own course. The power to move under your own willpower, whether for duty or sheer pleasure. Despite some decline among Gen Zers, plenty of teens still eagerly anticipate getting their driver’s license. In many American towns, where public transportation and walkability are scarce, driving is what empowers you to explore.