Alphabet Inc‘s (NASDAQ:GOOG) (NASDAQ:GOOGL) autonomous driving unit, Waymo, has announced plans to offer public driverless rides in Austin, Texas, later this year, directly targeting Tesla‘s home turf. Public Launch in Los Angeles: Starting Thursday, Waymo will offer driverless rides to select members of the public in Los Angeles. The service, called Waymo One, will initially be free in a designated area and transition to paid service soon. Expansion Plans: Waymo aims to permanently add riders from its 50,000-person waitlist and distribute temporary access codes at local events. In Austin, the…