WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - Waymo has launched on-the-ground testing in Philadelphia, marking its latest step toward expanding into major Northeastern U.S. cities.
Beginning this summer and continuing through the fall, a limited number of Waymo vehicles equipped with the company's self-driving technology will be manually operated by human safety drivers as part of its broader 'road trip' data collection initiative.
The Alphabet-owned company said the tests will span Philadelphia's most complex areas, including downtown, freeways, and neighborhoods ranging from North Central and University City to Eastwick and the Delaware River. The goal is to evaluate how the Waymo Driver navigates local infrastructure, traffic patterns, and real-world driving conditions.
'This city is a National Treasure,' the company said in a post on X, celebrating the cultural significance and urban diversity of Philadelphia as a testing ground.
The move follows similar efforts in New York City, where Waymo recently applied for a permit to begin manual testing in Manhattan. While state regulations currently prohibit driverless operations, Waymo views these initiatives as foundational steps toward future commercial launches.
Waymo's paid autonomous ride-hailing service, Waymo One, currently operates in Phoenix, San Francisco, Los Angeles, and Austin, providing more than 250,000 rides weekly. Plans are underway to expand into Atlanta, Miami, and Washington, D.C., by 2026.
These 'road trips' are not immediate commercial rollouts but are critical to refining its AI system and preparing for market entry. Previous testing in cities like Santa Monica led to full-scale service launches in parts of Los Angeles.
Alphabet's 'Other Bets' unit, which includes Waymo, reported $1.65 billion in revenue in 2024 but continued to operate at a loss. The company hopes expansion into high-density urban markets will help turn its autonomous driving ambitions into a viable business.
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