Waymo, the autonomous car subsidiary of Alphabet, is taking a significant step forward in its development of self-driving technology. The company has announced that it will now be able to test its driverless vehicles on certain stretches of freeway in Phoenix, Arizona, marking a crucial milestone in its journey towards enhancing journey times for riders and expanding its operations in the United States.
Previously, Waymo’s autonomous cars primarily relied on city surface streets, avoiding expressways altogether. However, this approach led to longer journey times, as the vehicles were unable to utilize freeway routes. With the approval of local authorities, Waymo can now conduct tests on select freeways in the Phoenix area, allowing its self-driving cars to navigate higher-speed roads with riders on board.
Initially, only Waymo employees will have the opportunity to experience the benefits of this expansion, providing valuable feedback to further refine the technology. However, the company plans to make this feature available to all customers later this year.
Waymo has amassed years of experience and millions of kilometers driven by its driverless cars and trucks, contributing to its readiness for this new phase of testing. While the company continues to expand its Waymo One autonomous car-sharing service in cities like Phoenix, San Francisco, Los Angeles, and Austin, it is also setting an example for the industry as a whole, demonstrating the efficiency and reliability of autonomous ride-hailing vehicles.
In contrast to Waymo’s progress, its competitor Cruise, a subsidiary of General Motors, recently faced setbacks with the recall of nearly 1,000 robo-taxis and the suspension of its activities by Californian authorities. However, companies like Aurora and Argo AI are also running autonomous ride-hailing services in other parts of the country, albeit without operating on higher-speed roads.
Waymo’s expansion into testing on Phoenix freeways signifies a significant step forward in the advancement of autonomous driving technology and paves the way for a future where self-driving vehicles play a prominent role in transportation systems worldwide.