Waymo, the self-driving company owned by Alphabet, has started its tests robotaxis in Atlanta on Tuesday, adding another city to its ever-expanding field of testing and development.
In the coming months, Waymo will deploy a handful of self-driving cars to collect mapping data and familiarize themselves with the Atlanta environment, Waymo spokesperson Sandy Karp told TechCrunch. Later, Waymo plans to test its robotaxis in Atlanta without the safety driver in the front seat.
Like many other states, Georgia’s regulation of AVs is almost non-existentmeaning that Waymo can technically put fully autonomous vehicles on the road today without a safety driver, provided they meet the state’s minimum risk conditions.
Waymo declined to comment on whether it plans to launch commercially in Atlanta or any of the other cities where it has begun collecting mapping data. Earlier this month, Waymo began mapping Washington, D.C., and in November 2023, the company began winter robotaxi testing in Buffalo.
“We are laser-focused on scaling our fully autonomous Waymo One ride-hailing service in the cities where we operate as we continue to safely and responsibly advance our autonomous technology through road trips across cities across the US,” said Karp.
Atlanta is just the latest in a string of territorial gains for Waymo in recent months. Just last week, Waymo has officially launched paid robot rides in los angeles. In March, California regulators approved Waymo to roll out its commercial robotaxi service across the San Francisco Peninsula and on San Francisco freeways, unlocking a route to San Francisco International Airport. Waymo has been offering rides to and from the Phoenix airport since November 2022 and recently expanded to include curbside delivery and pickup.
Waymo also began providing driverless rides to employees in Austin in March and plans to open the service to members of the public later this year.
Waymo’s recent wins are reminiscent of former rival Cruise’s increased activity last year. By August 2023, Cruise had announced initial data collection in Atlanta, along with Seattle, Washington, Las Vegas and other cities. Cruise had also begun testing its robotaxi in Austin, Houston, Dallas and Miami and operating a limited robotaxi service in Phoenix.
Cruise’s expansion plans came to an abrupt halt after an October 2 incident in San Francisco that led to license suspensions and a decision to ground its entire fleet. (The California Department of Motor Vehicles tells us Cruise is trying to get her state licenses back.)
It’s important to note that Waymo and Cruise are not the same. Cruise has faced scrutiny for malfunctioning its robot taxi on public roads, impeding traffic flow, public transit and first aid. Waymo has been touted as a company that moved slower and broke fewer things, but the company and its technology aren’t without mistakes.
In February, Waymo recalled the software that powers its robotaxi fleet after two vehicles crashed into the same tow truck in Phoenix in December. A Waymo robotaxi also hit and killed a dog in June 2023.
