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Waymo , the ego - driving party under Alphabet , began testing itsrobotaxis in Atlantaon Tuesday , supply another metropolis to its ever - expanding examination and deployment domain .
Over the next few month , Waymo will deploy a handful of cars labour manually by human being to gather chromosome mapping data and get conversant with Atlanta ’s environment , Sandy Karp , a Waymo spokesperson , told TechCrunch . after , Waymo calculate to test its robotaxis in Atlanta without the safety driver in the front seat .
Winter in Buffalo ❄ ️🦬 , Spring in DC 🌸 🏛 ️ , and summer in Atlanta ☀ ️ 🍑 !
We ’re taking the#WaymoDriverto the ATL as we proceed evaluate how our organisation infer to different environs and new experiences . translate about our thwartwise - country grooming program: … pic.twitter.com / ORNxAbjJ3A
— Waymo ( @Waymo)April 16 , 2024
Like many other states , Georgia ’s ordinance of AVs isalmost nonexistent , meaning Waymo can technically drop amply autonomous vehicle on the streets today without a safety number one wood , provided it meets the state ’s minimal risk conditions .
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Waymo declined to comment on whether it plan to plunge commercially in Atlanta , or any of the other city in which it has started roll up mapping data . Earlier this month , Waymo begin mapping Washington , D.C. , and in November 2023 , the company began wintertime examination robotaxis in Buffalo .
“ We ’re laser focus on scale our fully autonomous Waymo One drive - hailing Robert William Service in the cities where we operate , as we go on safely and responsibly advancing our autonomous technology through road trips to various metropolis around the U.S. , ” say Karp .
Atlanta is just the latest in a string of territorial profit for Waymo over the last few month . Just last calendar week , Waymo officially launchedpaid robotaxi rides in Los Angeles . In March , California regulators approved Waymo to grow its commercial robotaxi service across the San Francisco peninsula and on San Francisco motorway , which unlocks a road to San Francisco International Airport . Waymo has been offering ride to and fromPhoenix ’s airport since November 2022 , and lately expand to includecurbside drop - off and pickup .
Waymo will start testing robotaxis on Phoenix highways
Waymo also started givingdriverless ride to employees in Austinin March and plan to open up the service to members of the public by and by this year .
Waymo ’s recent win are remindful of its erstwhile competitor Cruise ’s increased activity last year . By August 2023 , Cruise had annunciate initial datum collectionin Atlanta , alongsideSeattle , Washington , D.C. , Las Vegas and other metropolis . Cruise had also begin testing its robotaxis in Austin , Houston , Dallas and Miami and operating a modified robotaxi service inPhoenix .
Cruise ’s expansion plans total to a sudden stop after anOctober 2 incidentin San Francisco that led tosuspendedpermits and a decision to grind itsentire fleet . ( The California Department of Motor Vehicles recount us Cruise is in the process of trying to get back its permits in the state . )
It ’s important to note that Waymo and Cruise are not the same . Cruise has faced examination for itsrobotaxis malfunctioningon public route , block the flow of traffic , public transit and first responder . Waymo has been brag as a company that has moved slower and break fewer things , but the company and its technical school are not without their faults .
In February , Waymo recalled the softwarethat powers its robotaxi fleet after two vehicles crashed into the same towed pickup truck in Phoenix in December . AWaymo robotaxi also strike and kill a dogin June 2023 .
