Waymo expands test drives to Chicago and Charlotte
Source: Mashable Tech
Overview
If you live in Chicago, Illinois, or Charlotte, North Carolina, you may soon be able to ride a robotaxi in your city.
According to a report in TechCrunch, and confirmed by locals who spotted the vehicles on Reddit (source), Waymo is currently conducting test drives in both cities.
Testing Phase
Waymo’s testing phase deploys Waymo vehicles with human drivers to gather data on local road conditions, traffic patterns, and edge cases. This information helps the autonomous system understand the lay of the land. After several months of testing, Waymo plans to:
- Test a driver‑less version of the service.
- Launch the full Waymo experience, allowing users to hail a driverless car via the Waymo app.
Recent Milestones
- Earlier this month, Waymo completed the first phase of testing in Nashville, Tennessee, paving the way for driverless taxis there. (Mashable article)
- Ongoing testing is also taking place in London, Washington DC, and Denver.
Current Availability
The full service is currently available in:
- Los Angeles
- San Francisco Bay Area
- Phoenix
Riders can also request a Waymo ride through an Uber partnership in Austin and Atlanta. Waymo is expanding to Orlando, Houston, Dallas, and San Antonio.
Expansion Outlook
Waymo’s ongoing expansion follows a financing round that raised $16 billion for the company. (Mashable expansion article)