Waymo To Begin Testing Driverless Passenger Vehicles On Phoenix Highways

Waymo, the autonomous vehicle company, is set to commence testing its driverless passenger vehicles on the highways of Phoenix, Arizona. This marks a significant milestone for the company and, if successful, will pave the way for expanded commercial operations.

Testing Driverless Vehicles on Phoenix Highways

Waymo has announced that it will initiate the testing of its autonomous Jaguar I-Pace SUVs without a human operator behind the wheel. The vehicles will begin shuttling employees on the freeways of Phoenix in the coming weeks. While the service will initially be limited to employees, Waymo plans to eventually expand its driverless highway service to regular customers. However, the company has not provided a specific timeline for when this will be available to the public.

Waymo’s Progress and Competition

This development is the latest in a series of significant steps taken by Waymo, particularly in the Phoenix area. In December, the company introduced curbside drop-off and pickup services at the Phoenix airport. Additionally, Waymo made its autonomous vehicles accessible through the Uber app a few months prior to this announcement.

Meanwhile, Waymo’s competition, such as GM’s autonomous vehicle subsidiary Cruise, has faced challenges. Cruise recently underwent a restructuring, including a reduction in staff and changes in its leadership, following an incident in which one of its robotaxis was involved in a pedestrian-related accident.

Waymo’s Strategic Shift

Despite its progress, Waymo has encountered detours along the way. The company shifted its focus away from autonomous trucking last year to concentrate more on ride-hailing. Waymo mentioned that the insights gained from extensive testing conducted during the trucking project, much of which took place in Arizona, have contributed to the advancement of its driverless passenger vehicle program on highways.