Alphabet-owned Waymo has received authorization to test its self-driving cars on public roads in New York City, the first time the city has granted such approval.
The permit allows the company to deploy up to eight Jaguar I-Pace SUVs in Manhattan and Downtown Brooklyn through late September, according to the mayor’s office. Each vehicle must have a trained safety operator in the driver’s seat with at least one hand on the wheel. Waymo is not permitted to carry passengers without additional licensing from the Taxi and Limousine Commission and must report data regularly to the city’s Department of Transportation.
The authorization is seen as a step toward the company’s long-term goal of offering robotaxi services in New York, a market regarded as one of the most challenging for autonomous driving due to traffic density and road complexity. Waymo already operates in San Francisco, Phoenix, Austin and Los Angeles, where conditions are generally less demanding.
The approval follows years of groundwork by Waymo, which began mapping New York streets in 2021 using manually driven vehicles. Its permit application in June required coordination with local lawmakers, first responders and organizations such as Mothers Against Drunk Driving. The company also needed to submit detailed safety and testing plans and obtain permits from the New York state Department of Motor Vehicles.
The trial is part of a broader autonomous vehicle safety framework introduced by Mayor Eric Adams earlier this year. When the permit expires at the end of September, Waymo will need to apply for an extension if it seeks to continue testing in the city.