Waymo Robotaxis to Start Driving on U.S. Highways

Waymo's robotaxis will now be able to operate on highways in the San Francisco, Phoenix and Los Angeles areas, a first for rides provided by fully autonomous vehicles.

The subsidiary of Alphabet, Google's parent company, accelerated its highway testing in 2023, notably transporting some of its employees, before launching its service, as announced Wednesday in a press release.

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The company plans to later offer highway rides in Austin and Atlanta, where Waymo already provides its services in the city.

In its home city, Waymo now operates in an area between San Francisco and San Jose, approximately 100 km.

Robotaxis from Tesla, Zoox (Amazon) and May Mobility are currently limited to city driving and do not operate on highways.

Several passenger car models are equipped with driver assistance systems, but the most advanced are at level 3 (out of 5), which requires a person behind the wheel ready to take over.