The future is present. Waymo, a subsidiary of Google-parent company, Alphabet, Inc., plans to bring autonomous driving vehicles to Houston as soon as this year as a part of its “2025 Road Trip”.
Waymo is a tech company launched originally as the Google self-driving car project. The company became a separate entity in 2016, dubbed “Waymo”, under Alphabet. Since 2020, Waymo has expanded its commercial services deploying driverless vehicles in U.S. cities including Phoenix, San Francisco, Los Angeles, and Austin.
Waymo are autonomous driving vehicles used primarily for ride-hailing services. Tech-wise, the vehicles are equipped with a range of lidar, camera, and radar sensors on top of AI-driven software which enable to machines to drive without manual input.
In Atlanta and Austin, the company partnered with Uber, integrating its driverless cars into the Uber ride-sharing app.
As a part of its broader U.S. expansion, the company will deploy Waymo vehicles in Houston as well as San Antonio and Orlando.
“We’re officially more than halfway through our 2025 road trip,” the company wrote in an Instagram post.
“Learning and rolling, we’re excited to announce our next stops for testing and exploration: Houston, Orlando, and San Antonio! These vibrant cities will provide unique and interesting learnings as we bring autonomous mobility to more communities. Get ready, the future is on the move!”
Waymo’s initiative involves conducting manual driving tests in Houston, Orlando, and San Antonio to collect data on local traffic conditions and driving behaviors. The company notes that these tests are exploratory in nature and do not guarantee the near-term launch of commercial robotaxi services in these cities.
Stay tuned for more details!