Waymo has confirmed it will start manual test drives of its autonomous vehicles in Baltimore, Pittsburgh, and St. Louis this week.
This expansion brings the total number of markets where the Alphabet-owned company is operating or testing to 26.
While the initial phase involves human-driven testing to map the areas and gather data, the long-term goal is to deploy fully autonomous ride-hailing services in these cities.
This move signals confidence in the technology’s ability to handle diverse environments, including regions with colder weather conditions.
The announcement comes amidst a flurry of activity for Waymo, which has recently expanded testing to Minneapolis, Tampa, and New Orleans while launching freeway rides in key western markets.
The company is facing increasing pressure from competitors such as Amazon, Zoox, and Tesla, which have also made significant strides in the robotaxi space this year.
Despite the competition, Waymo remains a leader with over 250,000 weekly paid trips across its active service areas.
Key Takeaways:
- Waymo is starting manual tests in Baltimore, Pittsburgh, and St. Louis.
- The company is now active in 26 markets across the U.S.
- Competitors like Amazon, Zoox, and Tesla are also expanding their robotaxi services.
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