Later this month, Waymo will begin highway testing of its autonomous passenger cars, a milestone that might lead to extended commercial operations.
The business said Monday that its autonomous Jaguar I-Pace SUVs would start transporting workers around Phoenix’s highways in a few weeks following a year of testing with an operator. The business claims driverless highway service would ultimately be accessible to normal consumers, although it didn’t provide a date.
Bringing its driverless vehicles onto the roadway is Waymo’s next important move, particularly in Phoenix. The business added Phoenix airport curbside drop-off and pickup in December. Waymo added its driverless cars to Uber a few months earlier.
As Cruise struggles to catch up, Waymo has taken these measures. After a robotaxi dragged a pedestrian in October, the GM autonomous car division laid off 25% of its personnel and fired many executives.
Waymo’s development hasn’t been linear. Last year, the business abandoned autonomous transportation to concentrate on ride-hailing. The business said Monday that insights from the extensive trucking project testing, most of which took place in Arizona, are helping it launch its highway passenger car program.
