Waymo自动驾驶汽车测试新业务

Google's sister-company Waymo has announced atrial in which its self-driving cars will ferry shoppers to and from a nearby Walmart store to pick up their groceries.

日前，谷歌的姐妹公司Waymo对外公布了一项测试，即自己旗下的自动驾驶汽车将在附近的沃尔玛商店对购物顾客进行接送。

For now, the pilot is being restricted to 400-plus members of its early rider programme in Phoenix, Arizona.

目前这个试点项目仅限于在亚利桑那州菲尼克斯市参加过早期驾驶试验的四百多位成员。

However, it indicates how the tech giant thinks the autonomous vehicles could be deployed if and when they exit the experimental stage.

尽管如此，本项测试一定程度上表明了这家科技公司对自动驾驶该以何种方式投放市场、何时能够完成实验阶段的想法。

One expert said cost would be key.

专家称，成本是问题关键。

 

The only word on pricing so far is a promise to offer participants discounts when they order goods via Walmart's Online Grocery Pickup service as part of the deal.

目前为止，价格方面的信息仅有一项承诺：通过沃尔玛在线商店服务下单的顾客将享受乘车折扣。

"If this is rolled out properly you would expect there to be a reasonably high threshold in terms of the price and spend commitment to justify the service," commented Julie Palmer, a retail expert at the consultancy Begbies Traynor.

咨询机构贝格比斯·特雷诺的零售专家朱莉·帕尔默评论道：“如果推出得当，为体现这一服务，你可以想象出在价格和支出方面可能会相当高。”

"You'd expect it to be limited to shoppers buying higher value items."

“这项服务也可能仅限于购买高价商品的消费者。”