Waymo is bringing it to three major US cities and surrounding areas. These areas include San Francisco, Phoenix, and Los Angeles.
The platform did not say how many of these vehicles have been given the green light to take to the freeway, except to say that “increasing numbers of public riders” will be given entry. At the very least, families will be able to play a new road trip game in which they point to cars with strange rotating LiDAR units on the roof.
The Google-owned ridesharing company says these freeway rides can be used for daily commutes, trips to various airports, or simply a joyride from Downtown LA to Culver City. The San Francisco service area is particularly large, extending across the entire peninsula. Newly expanded service to San Jose, including San Jose Mineta International Airport.
waymo
This is the beginning of this freeway expansion, in the early stages. To that end, the platform says its vehicles have already logged “millions of miles” on freeways and that they are adept at “expertly handling highway dynamics.”
Waymo says it’s planning something similar for Austin, Atlanta and other undisclosed areas. It’s also headed to San Diego, Detroit and Las Vegas next year, but they won’t go on freeways just yet.