Starting tomorrow, Waymo will allow its autonomous vehicles to operate in Austin without a safety operator behind the wheel, a significant milestone before the company opens the program to the public.
The company announced on Tuesday that it will begin providing rides to its employees in a 43-square-mile area of the Texas capital, including neighborhoods such as Barton Hills, Riverside, East Austin, Hyde Park, and downtown Austin.
This development comes shortly after Waymo gained approval to charge for rides in expanded areas of Los Angeles and the San Francisco Bay Area. While Waymo did not specify when it plans to offer autonomous rides to the public in Austin, it will be the fourth city where the company’s robotaxis are officially in operation, joining LA, SF, and Phoenix.
Waymo in Action
Ahead of Competitions
Despite challenges faced by other companies in the autonomous vehicle space, such as GM-owned Cruise and Ford-backed Argo AI, Waymo continues to expand its Waymo One autonomous ride-hailing program steadily. Several Chinese AV startups have also slowed or halted testing in the U.S.
Waymo has encountered its own issues, including a recent incident in San Francisco where one of its autonomous vehicles collided with a cyclist. The California Department of Motor Vehicles is investigating this incident. Additionally, Waymo recently issued a recall for its autonomous software following two crashes involving AVs and the same towed truck in the Phoenix area late last year.
