Waymo, the autonomous driving technology company, has announced plans to significantly expand its self-driving car testing program to 10 new cities in 2025, with Las Vegas and San Diego leading the rollout.
The expansion marks a major shift in Waymo's strategy, focusing on what the company calls "generalizability" - testing how well its autonomous vehicles can adapt to new environments after logging extensive mileage in its existing markets of San Francisco, Phoenix, and Los Angeles.
The company aims to streamline its launch process in new cities, minimizing the testing period required before rolling out commercial robotaxi services. This accelerated approach builds on Waymo's experience from tens of millions of miles driven in its current operational zones.
Las Vegas and San Diego will serve as the initial testing grounds for this ambitious expansion. These cities offer diverse driving conditions, from dense tourist areas to suburban neighborhoods, providing valuable data on how Waymo's autonomous system handles varying environments.
The move represents one of the largest single-year expansions of autonomous vehicle testing in the industry. While specific details about the other eight cities remain undisclosed, this broader deployment suggests growing confidence in Waymo's technology and its ability to scale operations across different urban landscapes.
The announcement comes as the autonomous vehicle industry continues to mature, with companies racing to expand their operational footprint while demonstrating the reliability and adaptability of their self-driving systems across diverse geographic locations.