Key Points
- Waymo is bringing its cars back to New York City in July. Initially, people will be driving the cars to map the city, not the AI.
- A New York state law currently prevents fully driverless cars from operating.
- Waymo has applied for a permit to start testing with a human safety driver on board.
- The company’s ultimate plan is to offer its full, driverless ride-hailing service in the city.
Waymo’s self-driving cars are set to return to the streets of New York City this July but don’t expect to see them driving independently just yet. For now, human drivers will be behind the wheel.
The company is starting by manually driving its cars to map the city’s complex streets, a step it also took back in 2021. Waymo’s long-term goal is to launch the same driverless ride-hailing service it currently operates in cities such as San Francisco, Phoenix, and Los Angeles.
However, the company faces a major legal hurdle. New York state law currently forbids operating a vehicle without a human driver. To move forward, Waymo has applied for a special permit from the city’s Department of Transportation.
This permit would allow them to begin testing the cars in autonomous mode, but with a trained safety specialist ready to take control at a moment’s notice. If the city approves the permit, it would be the first official deployment of autonomous vehicle testing in NYC.
The company wants to see how its technology handles New York’s unique challenges, from its chaotic traffic to its icy and snowy winter weather. This move is part of Waymo’s continued expansion across the country following its recent growth in other major cities.
