by Waymo Plans to Test Autonomous Vehicles in New York
The Google-owned company Waymo has applied to test autonomous vehicles in New York. Currently, the testing requires a driver to be present behind the wheel for safety. This is part of the company’s strategy to expand its operations, as it already conducts testing in other US cities such as San Francisco, Los Angeles, Phoenix, and Austin.
If the application is approved, testing will begin as early as next month. However, New York has strict traffic safety laws that do not yet permit fully autonomous vehicles. Waymo is actively working to change this situation.
We hope that New York will be able to make regulatory changes that will allow us to provide our services in the city and state in the future. We continue productive negotiations with local and state officials, regulators, and community organizations.
Challenges and Competition
New York is a particularly challenging city for testing autonomous vehicles due to the high volume of traffic, pedestrians, and cyclists. However, Waymo already has experience testing here since 2021, although the vehicles were human-driven at that time.
Competition in the autonomous vehicle market is intensifying. Zoox, which is owned by Amazon, recently announced plans to open a manufacturing facility in the US, where it intends to produce up to 10,000 autonomous vehicles per year.
The development of autonomous technologies continues to gain momentum, and Waymo is taking important steps to solidify its position. However, success in New York will depend not only on technology but also on legislative changes and adaptation to local traffic conditions.
