Waymo Secures First-Ever NYC Permit for Autonomous Vehicle Testing
Alphabet’s Waymo has achieved a significant milestone by securing its first-ever permit from New York City to commence testing of autonomous vehicles. This landmark event, which took place on Friday, signifies a major step forward for self-driving technology in one of the world’s most challenging urban environments.
Mayor Eric Adams, in conjunction with the NYC Department of Transportation, announced that Waymo has been granted permission to deploy up to eight Jaguar I-Pace SUVs in Manhattan and Downtown Brooklyn. This testing phase is expected to run through late September 2025.
Under NYC’s strict safety requirements, which are regarded as the nation’s most stringent AV regulations, each vehicle must adhere to the following rules:
- Each vehicle must have a trained safety operator behind the wheel at all times.
- The safety operator must have at least one hand on the steering wheel.
- The company is not allowed to pick up passengers during this testing phase.
- Regular reporting of data to the city’s DOT is mandatory.
This development marks NYC’s first autonomous vehicle testing launch, edging Waymo closer to potentially launching a robotaxi service in the Big Apple. Waymo currently operates in San Francisco, Austin, Phoenix, and Los Angeles, with over 10 million robotaxi trips completed to date.
Source: TechCrunch