The autonomous ride-hailing firm, Waymo, revealed on Wednesday that it will start providing freeway rides to robotaxi passengers in Los Angeles, Phoenix, and the San Francisco Bay Area, marking a major advancement in self-driving technology.
Waymo had previously limited its robotaxi operations to city streets due to safety considerations associated with high-speed freeway travel. Following several years of extensive testing, the company now states that its technology is ready for deployment.
Waymo stated that offering robotaxi rides on freeways in San Francisco, Phoenix, and Los Angeles represents a pivotal expansion for the company, which is expected to reduce ride durations by up to 50%.
The move could appeal to a new segment of users seeking faster travel between the numerous towns and suburbs of the greater San Francisco Bay Area or shorter commutes across the vast Los Angeles and Phoenix metropolitan regions.
Navigating interstate highways and expressways has long been a key hurdle for self-driving technology, alongside persistent challenges like snowy conditions and vandalism. According to company spokesperson Sandy Karp, Waymo, a spinoff of Google, now appears to be the first in the U.S. to offer fully autonomous freeway rides to passengers without a human operator on board.
Waymo stated that the service will not be available to all riders initially. Those interested in experiencing freeway rides can indicate their preference in the Waymo app. When a ride is requested, the system may assign a freeway-enabled trip.
Waymo’s robotaxi network will now extend to San Jose, forming a continuous 260-mile service area across the Peninsula. The company also declared it will introduce curbside pickup and drop-off at San Jose Mineta International Airport.
Waymo’s move to deploy robotaxis on freeways aligns with its broader expansion strategy. The company plans to more than double its city coverage, including cold-weather locations like Denver and Detroit. It is also introducing a new van, the Zeekr RT, to complement its existing Jaguar fleet. Earlier this year, Waymo partnered with Toyota to explore integrating its autonomous technology into privately owned vehicles.
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