Waymo will begin allowing its autonomous vehicles to operate in Austin without a safety operator starting tomorrow, a significant milestone before opening the program to the public.
The company announced on Tuesday that it will start providing rides for employees in a 43-square-mile area of Austin, including various neighborhoods and downtown.
This development follows Waymo’s recent approval to charge for rides in expanded areas of Los Angeles and the San Francisco Bay Area. While the company did not specify a timeline for offering autonomous rides to the public in Austin, it will be the fourth city where Waymo’s robotaxis operate, in addition to LA, SF, and Phoenix.
Despite challenges faced by other companies in the autonomous vehicle space, Waymo continues to expand its Waymo One ride-hailing program. Cruise, owned by GM, is under investigation for a crash, while Argo AI, backed by Ford, has ceased operations. Several Chinese AV startups have also slowed or stopped testing in the U.S.
While Waymo has encountered its own issues, including a recent collision with a cyclist in San Francisco and a software recall after AVs crashed into a towed truck in Phoenix, the company remains at the forefront of autonomous vehicle technology.
