Waymo, the autonomous vehicle unit of Alphabet, is taking its self-driving tests to the next level by including select freeways in Arizona. The company announced its plans to phase in rider-only ride-hailing trips on freeways in Phoenix, starting with employee trips. Waymo has been gradually increasing its driver-monitored testing on freeways over the past year.
The goal of this expansion is to eventually allow Waymo One riders to safely travel on freeways without a human driver. The company highlighted its years of testing experience with rider-only vehicle fleets, which will inform its safety approach as it expands its operations. Waymo even shared a video demonstrating its self-driving system navigating freeways for both passenger vehicles and class 8 trucks.
In addition to collaborating with public safety officials on best practices, Waymo will also educate them about its technology. The company’s safety approach was further detailed in a blog post from 2020. While Waymo is still approved to test its vehicles in San Francisco, the operations of other autonomous ride-hailing companies, like Cruise, have been closely scrutinized by regulators.
Expanding to include freeway routes is expected to significantly reduce travel time for Waymo riders. The company provided side-by-side images comparing a drive from the Sky Harbor International Airport to Northern Scottsdale with and without using freeways, revealing that using freeways cuts the driving time in half.
Despite the concerns about the safety of self-driving vehicles, continued testing is believed to improve the systems over time. The ultimate goal is for autonomous vehicles to become safer than human drivers. Waymo’s expansion in Arizona aligns with this long-term vision for self-driving technology.
As the autonomous driving industry progresses, companies like Tesla are also testing semi-autonomous driving systems. Tesla’s Full Self-Driving (FSD) beta, while not currently offering ride-hailing or fully driverless operations, includes highway testing and represents the company’s ambitions for a future of “robotaxis.”
Waymo’s advancements in autonomous driving bring us closer to a future where self-driving vehicles can navigate freeways safely and efficiently, transforming the way we travel.