Hybrid Network

A hybrid network means self-driving cars and human-driven cars are mixed together in a single dispatch system. Think of a delivery company that puts drones and trucks in the same order system and assigns whichever fits the situation at that moment.

For riders, the app looks the same. Right up until you press the request button, you don't know whether a self-driving car or a human-driven car will show up — that's decided just before dispatch. If you want, you can also ask to switch from a self-driving car to a regular one.

This kind of setup is common when self-driving services are just getting started. Since the number of self-driving cars deployed is still small, human-driven cars fill in the gaps so the service doesn't break down. As more self-driving cars are added over time, their share of the network gradually grows.

In the article, the line "before your car arrives, you can choose to keep the self-driving vehicle or switch to a regular one" illustrates a hybrid network. Setting the record straight: this doesn't mean the whole service has fully switched to self-driving — it means self-driving cars and regular cars are running together within one app during a transition period.