> Is Waymo clear about what the end goal is?

I think they're clear:

"We're at the point when it's really important to find how real people, outside the Google environment, will use this technology," said John Krafcik, Waymo's chief executive officer. "Our goal is that they will use this for all their transportation needs."

It seems they are split on whether car ownership or ride-sharing will be more viable:

"Yes, self-driving technology makes sense for ride-sharing," said Krafcik, [...] "It also makes sense for personal car ownership." Transportation to and from transit hubs and logistics also made his list.