Waymo’s latest expansion strategy: teenagers

The company’s introduction of teen accounts provides another means of growth — this one targeted at a demographic that relies on parents or public transit to get to school, work, or activities.

There are few limits to the service. The teen account must be connected to a parent or guardian, but once activated, teens can hail autonomous rides anywhere in Waymo’s service area in Nashville — and bring their friends along. Waymo told TechCrunch that teen account holders can bring up to three guests ages 13 to 17. The company didn’t share how these ages would be verified.

That kind of access could certainly invite chaos — it’s not hard to imagine four 16 year-old kids unleashed in a robotaxi. But it may also be part of the appeal for parents who would rather their kids pile into a Waymo than in a vehicle driven by a teenager.