Waymo will send its robotaxis to new regions this winter as it keeps expanding.
According to reports, Waymo’s Zeekr autonomous vehicles will run test drives in Northern California, New York and Michigan. Their winter temperatures will help the cars test new features, such as sensors that can melt ice and snow.
The tests will feature human drivers.
Waymo has sent its autonomous vehicles on road trips since 2017 to prepare the robotaxis for traffic conditions, including in cities on the East Coast.
Waymo is dominating the autonomous taxi market, available to customers in three cities: Los Angeles, San Francisco and Phoenix.
In San Francisco, Waymo announced this week that it’s testing its autonomous taxis on freeways. Currently, Waymo’s vehicles can’t operate commercially on highways, but if testing proves successful it would pave the way for more expansion.
Meanwhile, Waymo is under investigation by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration over possible safety violations. The agency is investigating over two dozen crashes involving Waymo’s vehicles the past few years.
• Vaughn Cockayne can be reached at vcockayne@washingtontimes.com.
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