WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - Alphabet's self-driving division, Waymo, announced on Wednesday that it will return to New York City next month to conduct autonomous vehicle testing, marking a bold step as the company works to expand its robotaxi operations across the U.S.
Waymo has applied for a permit from the New York City Department of Transportation to operate vehicles equipped with safety specialists at the wheel an essential step toward offering fully autonomous rides to New Yorkers in the future.
The company last brought its vehicles to Manhattan in 2021 for manual driving, data collection, and mapping. This latest phase will allow Waymo to test its technology in one of the most complex and demanding urban environments in the world, with dense traffic, pedestrians, cyclists, and delivery vehicles all sharing the roads.
The move comes as Waymo accelerates its national growth. Already operating in San Francisco, Phoenix, Los Angeles, and Austin, the company recently received approval to broaden its service across the San Francisco Peninsula and parts of Silicon Valley.
Waymo's fleet now provides more than 250,000 autonomous rides each week, and the company plans to expand its fleet from 1,500 to 2,500 vehicles through partnerships with automakers like Toyota and Zeekr.
Competition in the autonomous vehicle sector is intensifying. Tesla is preparing to begin limited robotaxi trials in Austin, relying on remote teleoperators rather than in-car safety drivers. Other players, including Amazon-backed Zoox and China's Pony.ai and WeRide, are racing to keep up, though none have matched Waymo's scale or ridership to date.
By tackling New York City's notoriously challenging streets, Waymo aims to solidify its position as the leader in autonomous mobility and prove its technology is ready for the complexities of urban driving.
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