Waymo will expand testing of fully self-driving passenger vehicles on highways in Phoenix with no human driver to soon provide safe and efficient transportation for Waymo One passengers.
Similar to how we have phased in our technology and operations in the past Waymo do this in stages, initially only transporting employees on freeways in Phoenix.
With years of experience in operating driverless vehicle fleets on public roads California and Arizona, as well as millions of kilometers driven autonomously with Class 8 trucks and cars on highways, all accompanied by a specialist, Waymo has decided to take the next step: driving on the highway.
Before expanding, you want to gain a comprehensive understanding of the environment and check the capabilities of the system. The experience with autonomous driving on highways has shown how everyday scenarios can be safely managed.
During the phased expansion, Waymo employees will be able to use rider-only rides on freeways in Phoenix. These test drives provide valuable feedback on the service and rider experience before Waymo One passengers are invited.
The use of Highways can significantly improve the passenger experience. For example, a trip from Sky Harbor Airport to the northern parts of Scottsdale on AZ-101 can be 50% faster compared to city roads. The ability to use highways will be particularly important as operations expand to other cities. That’s why Waymo is focusing on testing for ride-hailing on highways.