Waymo Expands Self-Driving Robotaxi Service to Highways in Three U.S. Cities
Key Takeaways
- Waymo is launching its first paid robotaxi highway service in San Francisco, Phoenix, and Los Angeles.
- The autonomous vehicles have logged millions of miles in highway testing to ensure safety and reliability.
- Safety agencies in California and Arizona collaborated with Waymo during the expansion phase.
Waymo, Alphabet’s self-driving vehicle division, is expanding its autonomous robotaxi service to major highways in San Francisco, Phoenix, and Los Angeles, allowing riders to travel faster and farther for the first time.
Until now, Waymo vehicles primarily operated on local streets and lower-speed highway routes, but the expansion marks the first time passengers can pay for highway trips, according to CNBC.
Waymo, a sister company of Google, announced the rollout in a press release, describing it as a major milestone in its mission to make autonomous transportation more efficient.
Highway-Ready After Millions of Testing Miles
The highway expansion follows years of rigorous testing and operational preparation to ensure the robotaxis’ safety and reliability, Waymo stated. The company’s autonomous fleet has logged millions of highway miles in preparation for the rollout.
According to CNBC, testing scenarios included highway merging, maneuvering around lane-splitting motorcycles and even reacting to overturned vehicles.
Safety Oversight and Operational Coordination
CNBC reported that the expansion required collaboration with safety officials at the California Highway Patrol and Arizona Department of Public Safety to ensure compliance with regional safety standards. as well as the installation of additional chargers to keep the taxis running.
Waymo’s autonomous taxis will operate at posted highway speed limits, though in limited circumstances, vehicles may temporarily exceed speed limits by a few miles per hour for safety reasons, according to CNBC.
The highway service will gradually expand to more riders and new cities, CNBC reported.