Waymo's autonomous vehicle group will begin testing a self-driving car program for families in Phoenix, Arizona, using 500 Chrysler minivans.

Alphabet Inc's Waymo said on Tuesday that it has been
testing the service for a handful of families, learning what potential customers would want from a ride service. It urged people to apply to take part in an expanded test, which is the first public trial of Waymo's self-driving cars. The vehicles include human operators from Waymo behind the wheel.

Waymo, which has an alliance with Fiat Chrysler Automobiles, is joining the list of companies that plan to offer their autonomous vehicles as a service. Ride service Uber in particular expects to use autonomous cars.

Waymo already has with 100 Chrysler Pacifica minivans and is acquiring five times more.