Overview

• Waymo’s limited fleet will operate with safety drivers across downtown Philadelphia, freeways and neighborhoods from North Central to the Delaware River through the fall.
• The company applied last month to test its autonomous vehicles in New York City with human monitors but is awaiting a permit from the city’s Department of Transportation.
• These road-trip deployments are designed to gather detailed mapping data and evaluate Waymo Driver’s performance in varied traffic conditions.
• Past road trips, such as the 2023 Santa Monica route, have paved the way for robotaxi launches and informed Waymo’s national expansion strategy.
• Waymo is advocating changes to New York City’s autonomous vehicle rules, which currently prohibit driverless operation without a human behind the wheel.