Waymo, the autonomous vehicle unit of Alphabet Inc., plans to begin testing its self-driving vehicles in 10 new cities this year, starting with Las Vegas and San Diego, according to a report by The Verge. However, the company clarified that these tests will not involve fully autonomous operations, nor will they immediately lead to commercial services in these locations.
Waymo told The Verge that it will deploy fewer than 10 vehicles to each city, where they will be manually driven to gather data on local driving conditions. The move is part of Waymo’s strategy to expand its understanding of diverse urban environments and improve its self-driving technology.
See also: Waymo May Test Charity Tip Feature for Robotaxi Riders
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The testing initiative does not signify an immediate rollout of commercial robotaxi services in the new cities. Waymo typically sends a small, human-driven fleet to assess how its systems adapt to different driving conditions, including traffic patterns, road infrastructure, and weather.
In 2024, Waymo conducted similar tests in Michigan and upstate New York to evaluate its technology in harsher winter conditions. The company has not confirmed whether it will launch commercial operations in any of the 10 new cities it plans to test in this year.
Waymo currently operates commercial robotaxi services in three cities: Phoenix, San Francisco, and Los Angeles. The company has announced plans to expand its commercial operations to Austin, Atlanta, and Miami later this year.
See also: Waymo to Launch First Robotaxi Service Outside the U.S. in Tokyo, Starting 2025
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The latest testing initiative comes as Waymo continues to refine its autonomous driving technology and prepare for broader deployment. The company’s cautious approach reflects the challenges of scaling self-driving services while ensuring safety and regulatory compliance.
The announcement comes just hours before Tesla’s fourth-quarter earnings call, where investors are expected to seek updates on the automaker’s robotaxi and self-driving initiatives. Tesla has been a key competitor in the autonomous vehicle space, with CEO Elon Musk recently announcing plans to launch an unsupervised Full Self-Driving (FSD) service in Austin, Texas, by June 2025.